


When the Music Changes

by LostButterflyUtau



Category: Elena of Avalor (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Dates, First Love, Mentions of AU Disney Princesses, Mirror World AU, Moonlight dancing, Post-Graduation, Princesses of Harmony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:34:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 35,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24616123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostButterflyUtau/pseuds/LostButterflyUtau
Summary: After graduating from school in the Mirror World, Carla returns to Avalor permanently and is presented with a new challenge far more difficult than any magic dilemma she's faced so far - finally confronting her long-hidden feelings for a certain Guard Captain who's having an equally difficult time reconciling his own for her.
Relationships: Carla Delgado/Gabriel "Gabe" Núñez
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	1. A Big Day

**Author's Note:**

> Since this was the first, full EoA fic that I wrote and was written before I firmly cemented certain parts of my timeline, I would like to apologise in advance for any and all discrepancies and mistakes that may be present. 
> 
> This fic connects to my Mirror World AU and the first chapter has a heavy emphasis on that setting, so if you have not read at least the “Welcome to the Mirror World” introduction on my Tumblr, I encourage it. 
> 
> I would like to give a huge Thank You to my friends pizza-n-sunshine for her support, help and fielding of my dumb questions and ograndebatata for the title suggestions. I’m terrible with titles and he really came through for me.
> 
> I appreciate any and all comments. I thrive on them and am always encouraging people to Bring Feedback Culture Back.

“Why won’t you tell me where we’re going?” Carla demanded, finishing with an annoyed huff when the crown princess didn’t reply, only whipped around to grab her wrist as they approached the main entrance of the palace.

“Because then it wouldn’t be a surprise! Now, come on!” Elena encouraged, eagerly pulling her reluctant friend down the steps towards a waiting carriage.

“Whatever it is, it better not make us late,” The smaller girl muttered to herself, carefully taking the hand Gabe offered and letting him help her step up and into the carriage, giving him a soft smile as she slid in next to her friend, who gave her an eager smile just before the they started moving.

 _‘Oooh. She is going to love this!’_ Elena thought, her smile widening as she envisioned the reaction she would receive when they arrived at their destination. It had taken all of her willpower not to drop even the smallest hint during the past two weeks. Each time she sat to write in her enchanted notebook, she had to write a draft on ordinary parchment first, just to make sure she didn’t slip up. And now that the day had finally arrived, it took everything in her to not tell, so she kept quiet during the ride, aside from the small laugh she gave when Carla huffed as she pushed her hair out of her face, less than amused with the fact that Elena had not only dragged her out of bed far too early, but barely let her run a brush through her hair before attempting to pull her out the door, until being reminded that, in order to go anywhere, Carla had to wear a _proper_ dress. 

Carla sighed as she leaned over the edge of the carriage, watched as the tree-lined path gave way into quiet roads as they pulled into Avalor city. Roads that would be bustling with people once the _Via Mercado_ officially opened for the day. For the time being, there were only merchants shuffling about, preparing their shops and stands for the day’s business, including the Magister of Trade, who stepped out of and then leaned against the door of her emporium just as the carriage pulled up.

“Doña Paloma’s Emporium? What are we doing here?” The younger girl asked, throwing the crown princess a curious look.

“Oh, you’ll see!” Elena replied as they stood, calling as they stepped out of the carriage, “Doña Paloma!”

“Crown Princess Elena,” Doña replied, cocked an eyebrow at Carla. “And you are…?”

“This is the friend I told you about, remember?” The princess answered, carefully stepping towards the older woman to whisper, “The one we’re doing this for?”

Doña thought for a moment, flitting her fan as she tried to recall her last meeting with the crown princess and snapping it closed when she suddenly remembered their previous conversation.

“Right,” She said, sauntered over to Carla, gave her a brief once-over. “I remember now. It’s Kaya, right?”

Carla rolled her eyes at the older woman, crossed her arms as she replied, “No. It’s _Carla_.”

“Does it matter?” Doña asked with a dismissive wave of her fan, turned to head back into the shop, oblivious to the look Carla shot Elena behind her back as they followed her across the shop to a small room in the back.

“This is a storage room,” Carla pointed out when they stopped, raising an eyebrow at the knowing look her friend exchanged with the shop’s owner just before the two women made their way over to a makeshift curtain display.

“Yes, but I couldn’t put this on the floor,” Doña commented, nodding to the crown princess who eagerly pulled open the curtain and then reveled in the surprised gasp her friend gave when the drapes opened to reveal a dress form draped in layers of violet fabric. The elegant, floor-length piece starting with an off-the-shoulder bodice accentuated with a single, lavender ruffle that matched the colour of the wide sash, underneath of which laid a tiered skirt, the darker, top layer splitting to reveal a lavender underskirt that stopped just before it hit the floor, on which sat a pair of strappy, violet sandals.

“It’s…Beautiful,” Carla gasped in awe, looking the garment over with wide eyes as she stepped forward, delicately touched the skirt’s fabric.

“Happy Graduation, Carla!” Elena exclaimed, relieved to finally be able to say those words after holding in the secret for so long. 

“Thank you, Elena,” The smaller girl replied, moved to wrap her arms around her best friend.

“Oh, it wasn’t just me. Doña helped too, you know,” Elena explained, gesturing towards her. “If it wasn’t for her connections, it would have never been finished on time.”

Carla nodded, turned to the other woman. “Thank you, Doña.”

“Oh, you’re _very_ welcome,” Doña boasted, secretly touched by the crown princess’ actions. When she had first told her of the idea, Doña had thought Elena had gone mad. To spend so much money and waste favours on something that benefited her in no way seemed strange to her. But, seeing the genuine happiness on both girls’ faces reminded her that it didn’t always have to be about getting a return investment.

“Well, you better change,” Doña continued, adding as she sauntered out of the room. “We only have a half hour before the _Mercado_ opens.”

Elena sighed, moved to carefully remove the dress from its display, saying as she did so, “I’ll help.”

Carla only nodded in response, smile and eyes widening once Elena finally secured the sash and turned her towards a dressing mirror. The dress was a perfect fit. 

“I _knew_ this colour would look great on you!” The princess commented.

“Too bad the rest of me is still a mess,” Carla lamented, brushing a piece of hair from her eyes.

Elena gave a soft laugh. “We’ll fix it,” She said, gave her friend’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze and earning a soft smile in response just before they made their way out, giving another round of thanks to Doña Paloma as they heading out to the carriage, neither missing the way Gabe’s eyes widened once he caught sight of Carla.

“Carla!” He exclaimed before he could stop himself.

Though she wanted to laugh at his sudden break in demeanor, she held back, replied, “Yes?” 

Suddenly realising his mistake, Gabe straightened up, cleared his throat. “You look…” He trailed off, his mind going blank as he gave her a subtle once-over. There were several words he could use, but none of them came to mind as he searched for something – _anything_ – to say, eventually settling on the first thing that would come out. “… _Wow._ ”

Unable to help herself, Carla giggled, commented as he helped her up, “Thank you, Captain Nuñez.”

Elena bit back a soft laugh, gave the guard captain a knowing look, leaned in to whisper when he helped _her_ up, “Just wait until she’s all done up.”

Gabe responded with a look of his own, eyes silently saying, _Don’t Start_.

 _‘I won’t,’_ The Crown Princess thought in response, her lips turning up into an amused smile. If he was _this_ taken aback now, she could only imagine what his reaction would be once Carla’s hair and makeup were sorted out. She then looked to her friend, who was glancing down at and fiddling with her glittering violet nails.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, set a gentle hand on the younger girl’s skirt.

Carla sighed, “I can’t believe this is my _last day_ at Walter Mickey.”

“I can’t believe you even found that portal, especially before Mateo,” Elena commented. “But I’m glad you did.” She paused at the lack of response, carefully reached over and brushed a piece of hair behind her friend’s ear. “Carla?”

The other girl took in a breath, admitted, “The other students chose _me_ to give a speech at graduation.”

Elena’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s great!”

“It would be… If I knew what to say. After all that’s happened, what do you tell everyone on such a big day?” Carla sighed again, looked out at the passing scenery as the carriage approached the bridge leading to the palace. “Starting over wasn’t easy. In fact, it was _terrifying._ But I did it. I proved that I have a place and that I can actually be somebody. And I want to show that, but I still have all this doubt. I want to make it memorable. I have this chance to leave a lasting impression and I…”

Elena cut her off. “Carla, you’re a Princess of Harmony. You’ve saved the school more than once. Making an impression is the least of your worries. I know this is going to sound weird, but I’m proud of how much you’ve grown. When all of this started you _were_ a thief on the wrong path.”

“I know, and – ”

This time, she was cut off by the carriage stopping.

“But,” Elena continued, taking her friend’s hand and carefully helping her up. “You proved you were stronger than that. And…” She trailed off, turned to Gabe as they stepped down, “Don’t forget. We’re all meeting in the archive room at nine.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” He responded in true royal guard fashion, nodded to Carla, “Miss Delgado.”

Carla wanted to smirk, instead, she smiled, fluttered her eyelashes at him as she walked by, and reveled in the uncharacteristic blush that tinted his cheeks. 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Elena said, voice cutting through the girl’s thoughts. “Like I was saying, you’ve come a long way. And I know you’ll figure it out. You’ve got quite a story, _Miss Delgado_.”

Though they tried not to, after exchanging the same, knowing look, both girls burst into laughter as they walked through the halls and to their respective bedrooms.

Once in the room, Carla made her way to and sat at the vanity. Opening the middle drawer, she pulled out a small collection of beauty products and paused to compare colours before making a few decisions, and, after pulling her hair back with a headband, went to work applying her chosen colours, finishing just as a knock came at the door.

She glanced towards it, removing the headband as she stood and throwing it on the vanity table before moving to answer the door, finding, as she expected, her father flanked by two royal guards.

“You’re late,” She commented, hands firmly placed on her hips.

“Well, I –” Victor started to explained, cut himself off as he looked Carla over, “Where did you get that dress?” He asked.

“Elena gifted it to me,” His daughter explained, motioned for him to come in and nodding to the guards, who returned the gesture and carefully shut the door behind them.

“Why do they have to follow me _everywhere_?” Victor snapped once the door was closed.

Carla rolled her eyes, brushed past him on her way back to the vanity. “Because Elena spent a lot of time and resources trying to track you down so you could be here today,” She explained, holding herself back from mentioning the fact that, while what she said was true, the _other_ reason for it was to prevent him from getting into any sort of trouble. She was sure it had been made clear that he was only allowed to be there for Carla, and that the guards and crown princess would make sure everything went smoothly.

“You should be _grateful_ ,” She added.

He didn’t respond, only frowned at the comment as he made his way over, took the brush she handed over, a comfortable silence settling between them as he carefully ran it over the dark locks, Carla using a second one to brush out and separate parts of her fringe.

“Papa?” Carla finally said, handed over a purple ribbon when he motioned for it.

“Hm?” Victor replied, diligently wove the ribbon into a section of hair.

“Thank you for coming. I know it was a lot to ask of you,” She said, adding in her head, _‘And everyone else.’_ It was one thing for Elena to willingly seek him out on her behalf like she had done for the cultural festival in February. It was another for her to openly ask the crown princess to spend her and the guards’ time tracking her father down for this. She knew the trouble having him in the palace would cause, but refused to feel guilty about it. He was all she ever had, and she decided that she wasn’t doing this without at least _trying_ to invite him, even if he had never been fond of her current life arrangement.

“Except it’s not,” He admitted with a rare, soft smile, pulled the remainder of her hair up.

She returned the smile, moved to secure the braid around the flowing ponytail while he gave it one last brush through and she played with the small pieces of hair framing her face.

As he set the brush down, Victor stared at his daughter’s reflection, green meeting sparkling violet as a distant memory suddenly flashed through his mind. He instinctively brought his hand up, set it on her shoulder. It was rare that he ever got sentimental, having learned to push those feelings down long ago, first after he was cast out of Avalor and again after his wife passed. But, as the reality of the day hit him, he knew he couldn’t hide it. Not this time.

“You look just like your mother,” He commented.

Carla gave him a fleeting glance, slightly stunned by the compliment, however, her surprise quickly turned into sentiment as she reached her own hand up to cover his, both taking a moment of silence before Victor spoke again, asking,

“Where’s your necklace?”

“Oh, Right,” She said to herself, opened one of the side drawers and pulled a black, velvet box from it that he promptly took and opened, carefully securing the jade pearls around her neck while she fiddled with her earrings. Granted, it wasn’t a _perfect_ match, but it _was_ her favourite set. A special Navidad gift given after a particularly rough year that she continued to hold onto, even bringing and wearing it nearly every day in the mirror world. Carla turned away from the mirror, opened her mouth to speak and was promptly cut off by the door opening.

“It’s time to go!” Esteban said when he stepped into the room, pointed to his watch. “You can’t keep the whole mirror world waiting!” He commented, turned to leave. He wasn’t interested in lingering, having only come as a favour to Elena, who was finishing off a freshly made anoki berry tart in her room, courtesy of Skylar, Mingo, Zoom and Estrella.

“What would we do without our Esteban alarm?” Carla quipped as they made their way out of the room and meeting up with Elena, who had decided on her white dress with an elegantly printed pattern on the bottom, the same one she had worn to her and Doña Paloma’s trade meeting.

“You look _amazing_!” The crown princess exclaimed, took her friend’s hands in her own with the intent to spin her around until a familiar voice interrupted. 

“There’s just one thing missing,” Luisa said as she made her way down the hall, Francisco at her heels with his hands behind his back. “Carla, do you remember when you and your father came to steal the crown jewels?”

“Um…Yes?” The younger girl replied cautiously, wondering why it was even being brought up. She had apologised and was forgiven for the incident awhile back.

“Well,” Francisco continued, “We’ve decided that you’ve earned the right to wear them. At least for today.”

“What are you –” Carla started, gasping when, from behind his back, Elena’s grandfather presented an elegant, silver tiara adorned with amethyst jewels. “Are you _serious_?”

“Of course we are,” Luisa smiled, gently took the item from her husband and reached up to set it on Carla’s head, taking her hands once she finished. “You’ve come such a long way, _Querida_ and we’re proud of you.”

“Thank you. Both of you.”

“Alright! I think we’re ready now,” Elena spoke up. “Let’s go get you graduated!”

* * *

“Ooooh. Where are they?” Moana thought aloud, pacing impatiently on the front steps of the school, which had been adorned with various plants and flowers – all in school colours -- that had been specifically picked for the graduation ceremony.

“I’m sure they’re on their way,” Belle said, carefully shutting the book she had been leafing through.

“I hope so,” Snow White spoke up, fiddled with her navy stole. “I can’t imagine what Principal Paloma would say if they missed line up. She and Vice Principal Flores have worked so hard.”

“Well, this is a special –” Belle started, only to be cut off by a familiar glow emanating from the school’s mascot statue.

“Finally!” Anna exclaimed, eagerly bounding down the stairs to meet with everyone, whose outfits had been magically modified by the mirror magic. The girls’ dresses were shorter, sleeker, the mens’ clothes becoming more simplified, but still retaining a formal ascetic.

The other girls followed in suit, all breathing sighs of relief at the sight of their friends.

“You all look great!” Isabelle commented as she threw her arms around Carla, who eagerly returned the gesture.

Rapunzel only gasped, circled around Carla, taking in every inch of her dress, which had not only gotten shorter, but now had thin straps resting over her shoulders. “Where were you hiding that new dress? It’s _amazing_!”

“It was a gift,” Elena revealed, laughing as Anna threw her arms around her. “Yes, I’m happy to see you too, Anna.”

“You’re just in time. We have ten minutes to get you two ready,” Belle spoke up.

“Wait, what do you mean you _two_?” Elena asked.

“You’ll see,” Moana added, turned to Isabelle and handed her an envelope. “Go ahead and take the others to their seats.”

Isabelle nodded, ran over to grab Naomi’s hand, “Come on!” She exclaimed, practically bouncing as she led the group away in the same moment Elena and Carla were being dragged off and into the school gym, which was bustling with students, teachers and parents all fuddling through last minute preparations, including Rapunzel’s mother, who looked up with eager eyes when her daughter approached.

“They’re here!” Rapunzel declared, quickly thanking her mother when she handed over two white boxes, the two exchanging a quick hug before Arianna made her way out and Rapunzel handed the boxes to their respective owners. 

Elena looked down at the box in her hands, raised an eyebrow at it before flicking her eyes up to the other girls, who stared back in anticipation. “What’s going on?” She asked.

“Just open it,” Moana said with a laugh, watching with the others as the crown princess did just that, giving the contents a curious look.

“It’s your cap and gown,” Belle explained. 

“But…why?”

“Because we wanted you to graduate with us,” Carla said as finished with her own gown, smiled at Snow White when she draped a purple stole over her shoulders.

“We know you don’t actually go here,” The shy girl started, straightened out the stole, “But you still did a lot for us and the school.”

“So we convinced Principal Paloma to let you be in the ceremony,” Anna finished excitedly. 

“But I didn’t…”

“Yes, you _did_ ,” Carla insisted, stepped up to set a hand on Elena’s shoulder. “If it wasn’t for you, everyone here would still be fighting. You’re the one who brought everyone, including us, together.”

“Thanks, girls,” Elena smiled as Rapunzel took the box out of her hands and, together with Anna, helped her into the outfit, explaining as she draped it,

“This is your stole. They’re usually for honour students and the like, but I decided that we deserved some too. I designed them myself. Each one has a symbol and our element embroidered into it.”

Elena gently fiddled with the mentioned red piece as Anna carefully positioned her mortarboard. Like with all of Rapunzel’s projects, the craftsmanship was amazing. Each colour carefully chosen to reflect each girl and every stitch in the embroidery perfectly placed and secured. She then opened her mouth to speak again, but, before she got a chance to even _think_ of a response, everyone stopped, a hush falling over the gymnasium as the main doors swung open, everyone whipping around to see Principal Hortencia Paloma strolling into the room with Vice Principal Flores at her heels and a wireless microphone in hand, her usual blazer and pants ensemble having been traded for a long, flowing royal blue dress. She wasted no time in dismissing the parents and then ordering the students to the bleachers. 

“ _Listen up_ ,” Hortencia addressed the students once they were seated. “I know this year has been…Eventful, and I just wanted to say that I’ve never been more proud of a class. Through everything, you all stuck together. But, despite that…” She trailed off, eyes fixated on the Harmony Princesses. “There will be absolutely _no magic_ today. Is that understood, Girls? I have worked too hard for this to turn into some magical mishap.”

“Yes Principal Paloma,” The girls replied in unison.

Hortencia nodded, handed the microphone to Vice Principal Flores, who began calling the students for their seating lineup, making sure to double-check their attire as they stepped up and raising an eyebrow at Carla.

“And where’s your cap?”

Carla shrugged. “It doesn’t fit with the tiara.”

“Then take it off,” Flores suggested. 

“Absolutely _not_ ,” Carla snapped, crossed her arms. She wasn’t giving in without a fight, not after the beautiful sentiment given by Elena’s grandparents when they had presented it to her. It was for them just as much as her, to show how far _they_ had come as well, having gone from suspicious and cautious of having Carla around to eventually forming an emotional connection as they watched her grow alongside their granddaughter.

“Miss Delgado, I will not…” He started.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hortencia cut in, meeting her colleague’s confused gaze as he looked from her, to their student, who shared the same expression. “We don’t have time for this, Esteban. Besides, she’s just _one_ person,” She explained, turned to Carla. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

Carla only nodded, returned to her place in line as Vice Principal Flores sighed, continued with the lineup procedure, saying a few words about remembering the importance of the day and acting like adults before giving a hearty congratulations and leading them out to the sunny field.

“There they are!” Naomi said, pulling at Mateo’s sleeve from her place in the stands as the students began filing out.

“Wait…what’s Elena doing?” Mateo asked even as he joined Naomi and Isabelle in waving when the girls walked past their section.

“She’s graduating,” Isabelle replied. “Well…kind of. She doesn’t get a diploma, but we wanted to include her.”

“That’s cool of you,” Naomi complimented, smiling to herself at the idea, while, in the crowd of students, Elena did the same.

Once the students were given permission to sit, the crown princess looked around and took in the setting. It was incredible to her to see how everything came together. Granted, she had thrown plenty of events and festivals together in her time as crown princess, but this was different. It felt like a time of celebration, but also sorrow. Every one of the students on the field would be setting off on different paths after this, the world opened to them. But, it also meant leaving the school behind. Of having to move on with just the memories. And to be invited to take part felt like an honour. Whether she wanted to admit it, Elena had been a huge part of making the school what it had become after her first visit to the mirror world. It was _her_ influence that brought the princesses of harmony back together and changed Carla’s life for the better. It was then that she realised, with light tears brimming in her eyes, that her time at this place, as short as it was, meant just as much as her time back home. She smiled at the thought, only being brought from it when Principal Paloma finished her speech and introduced Carla to the crowd.

 _‘Okay Carla, you can do this,’_ The young woman told herself, heart beating faster with every step she took, Elena’s words echoing her mind as she stepped up to address the students.

“When I first transferred here, I was in an _awful_ place in my life,” Carla started. “I was angry at the world. Why? I don’t know. But regardless, I took it out on everyone. I tore them apart. And for that, I apologise. But, I didn’t stay like that,” She paused, removed the microphone from the stand and began to pace, heading back down the stage steps as she continued, “Because there was someone who decided that she wasn’t afraid of me. Who, after everything, saw that I just needed a friend. Or two. Or _six_.”

“What is she _doing_?” Hortencia hissed to Flores, watching as Carla made her way up the aisle and stopped in front of Elena, who decided in that moment to join her friend, the two exchanging a smile as she headed up the aisle to help by giving a few words about the things _she_ had learned at the school before following her back up to the stage to conclude everything, Elena adding a spiel about how graduation wasn’t an end, but a new beginning, a sentiment that earned a welcomed and hearty applause from everyone – guests and students alike.

* * *

After the ceremony, the families all filed out and onto the front lawn, parents and students rushing back and forth as they attempted to reunite and, for some, say their final goodbyes.

“I’m going to miss this place,” Belle commented when she found her friend group, earned a round of nods in response.

“What’s going to happen now?” Anna asked. “With us going off to different schools, what are we going to do about our magic?”

“I don’t think that’ll go away,” Elena said. “Mateo did some reading and says that the Jewels of Harmony have always been connected. So, even if you’re in different places, you’ll still have each other.”

“I hope it works across realms now that we’ll have _both_ of you over there,” Moana quipped, throwing her arms around Elena and Carla in the same moment Naomi called out to them.

“There you guys are,” She said, slightly out of breath from navigating the crowd.

“Hey, Prom Queen!” A boy called, waving to Naomi as he passed by.

Carla shook her head, thought to herself, _‘I still don’t know how that happened.’_

“ _Carla_!” A second voice called and she whipped around just in time to see Gabe and her father approaching them.

“Papa!” She replied, ran up to join and them and then laughed when her father picked her up and twirled her around.

Gabe smiled, thinking to himself that, while it was weird to see Victor Delgado playing the role of a proud, loving parent rather than the manipulative criminal they’d all come to know him as, it was equally heartwarming. Though they both tried to hide it, it was obvious that having her father there meant a lot to Carla. Gabe remembered how she’d almost knocked Elena over with an excited hug two days ago when the princess revealed that they had managed to track him down just in time for today. It was in that moment he also noticed for the first time how her eyes lit up when she was truly, genuinely happy. There hadn’t been anything but pure joy in them that day. The same joy he saw now as she eagerly wrapped her arms around her father once her feet were on the ground again.

He then frowned as reality came back to him and he realised that after that night, Victor would likely take off on his own again. Despite all the effort Carla had made to turn her life around, it seemed that her father wanted no part of it. In a way, it reminded him of his relationship with his own father and how, regardless of the success he’d had in the guard, it had taken a lot for Roberto to accept that his son didn’t want to be a baker _or_ an olaball player. Granted, things had since gotten better, but there were still small comments here and there. He then started to ponder how Carla felt about the whole situation, wondered if she ever had the same doubts that he did.

 _‘Wait. Why am I thinking about this?!’_ The guard captain asked himself, shook his head in an attempt to shake off his wandering thoughts. _‘Why does it even matter? It’s not like she’d ever tell me about it. Or, would she? I mean, I’ve never actually asked, so…’_ He thought, quickly stopping himself once he realised where his train of thought was headed. _‘And why do I care? Well, I guess because we’re friends, but…’_

“Gabe!” A voice called, dragging him out of his thoughts just as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. “You’re coming to the party tonight, right?” Elena asked when he turned to look at her.

“What party?” He asked, mind still lingering on his conflicting thoughts.

“Carla’s graduation party, remember? I thought I sent you an invitation.”

Gabe thought for a minute, confirmed once he remembered the invitation in question, “You did.”

“Good. Because I have a favour to ask,” Elena said, lips curving into a sly smile.

* * *

 _‘Why did I let her talk me into this?’_ Gabe asked himself later that night as he double-checked his appearance in the mirror, made sure every part of his uniform was clean, polished and orderly. He thought about wearing something else, in fact, Elena had encouraged it, but also decided that he didn’t want to raise suspicion. It was embarrassing enough that Elena and Naomi knew. If his fellow guards were to think he was doing anything but his job, he’d never live it down.

He took in a breath, straightened up into a proper stance. _‘Okay Nuñez, you can do this. All you have to do is take a walk. Yeah, that’s it. Just a little walk,’_ He told himself in a failed attempt to calm his nerves, the tension only growing as the reality of the situation washed over him _‘With Carla. To a party where everyone will be waiting for – and watching -- her. Ugh. Get a grip, Gabriel!’’_

He sighed, turned away from the mirror and towards the clock. “Okay, let’s do this,” He muttered to himself, carefully picking up the neatly wrapped box from the bed before heading out, making sure to keep an eye out as he expertly navigated the halls, stopping when, upon reaching the final stretch, he caught Naomi stepping out of Elena’s room with a decorated gift bag hanging over her arm. Thinking quickly, he turned around with the intent to slip into a corner.

However, he wasn’t quick enough.

“Gabe!” Naomi called, holding back a laugh at the way he suddenly froze.

“Naomi,” Gabe replied as he whipped back around, hoping that he looked relatively calm as she stepped towards him. “You look nice,” He complimented.

“Um…Thanks,” Naomi replied, eyes fixating on the poorly hidden box behind his back, pointing to it, she asked with a knowing smile, “Is that for Carla?”

He gave a defeated sigh, said as he brought it around, “I just figured since everyone else got her something that –”

“You don’t have to explain,” Naomi cut him off as she moved to take the box. “I’ll go ahead put this with the others.”

“Thanks,” Gabe said, his nerves calming slightly now that he didn’t have to present the gift directly to its owner, especially since he was certain that he’d mess up and make a fool of himself, just as he had that morning. 

Naomi only smiled in response, went on her way without saying another word. Once she was out of sight, Gabe breathed a long sigh of relief, took a moment to compose himself before making his way down the remainder of the hallway, taking in another breath as he knocked on the door, nerves reeling when he heard first the soft click of heels and then the click of the handle before the door opened.

Though she looked nearly same as she had that morning, the only real difference being the added sparkle to her makeup, he wasn’t any less taken aback by the sight of her. Goosebumps flashed over his skin as he noticed for the first time how the deep purple colour of the dress accentuated her eyes when she looked up at him, sparkling violet meeting soft brown for a moment as they both stood still.

“G – Gabe!” Carla finally spat out. “What are you doing here?”

He blinked, took a second to process the words. “Oh!” He said, cleared his throat. “I’m here to escort you to the party.”

Carla wanted to come up with a witty retort or a flirtatious remark, but nothing came to mind. For once, she wasn’t interested in messing with him; instead, she hesitantly took the arm he offered, a light flush tinting her cheeks as she replied, “Thank you.”

He smiled in response, afraid that if he spoke, he’d only fumble over his words. As they made their way down the hall, he couldn’t help sneaking a few glances at her, breath involuntarily catching when she gently leaned her head against his shoulder.

“So…Um…” He finally offered in an attempt to break the lingering silence. “Did your father leave already?”

She sighed, nodded. “About an hour ago.”

He noted the disappointment in her voice, frowned at it as he replied, “I don’t get it. Why haven’t we locked him up by now?”

“Because it would solve nothing,” Carla explained. “Trust me. Keeping him here is more trouble than it’s worth. Besides, Elena once said that as long as I’m around, she doubts he’ll try anything. At least, not on his own. And I’ve come to terms with it.”

“But?” The guard captain pressed, sensing there was something she wasn’t saying.

Carla bit her lip, contemplated her choices. She could brush it off like she always did. It wasn’t his business, after all. But, she didn’t want to do that. Something about his presence made her feel _safe_ , like she could tell him anything and everything would be okay.

“But, I wanted him to at least stay for the party,” She confessed, choking back the sudden wave of emotion that came over her. “I know it’s _stupid_ , but – ”

He cut her off. “No, it’s _not_. You’re allowed to want him to be part of your life.”

She didn’t respond, not right away, only smiled at his comment, at the fact that he was validating her feelings. Of course, she’d had a long conversation about it with Elena just a few days ago, but having another person – no, not just another person – having _him_ tell her that she was justified somehow made her feel better about the situation.

“This is going to sound silly, but I wanted to dance with him. Just like we used to.”

Gabe smiled at the thought of little Carla learning how to dance and being picked up and twirled around by her father. It was an adorable image that brought a sudden idea to mind. “Well,” He started and she glanced up at him, her curious gaze making him stop for a moment before continuing, “I could dance with you. If you want to that is. I know it’s not the same, but –”

“I’d like that,” Carla admitted, resumed lying her head against him until they made the final turn and stopped outside the door to the ballroom.


	2. Can I Have This Dance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it’s important to this part, I should mention that, in my AU timeline, Carla’s mother is long dead. She passed the day Carla was born. (I have nothing against canon or Ash Delgado (as a character concept). I simply write on a different timeline is all.)
> 
> Artwork by: LovelyRugbee (Used with Permission)

The party was a small one with only close friends and family in attendance, but it was more than enough for Carla, who, surprisingly, hadn’t wanted a party in the first place, having been too focused on getting herself together for her permanent move. She was content with attending both the school’s and Anna’s big celebrations for everyone, their group having agreed with their parents that more than one party was too much, especially since it would be a cycle of them just attending each other’s. But, Elena insisted, and once she set her mind to something, there was little chance of changing it, so Carla allowed it, under the condition that she would keep it small and private, which, she did. However, despite the limited attendance, the room was still loud and boisterous, in part thanks to Anna, who even drug Esteban into the fray, eager to put a smile on everyone’s face, including his.

 _‘Only Anna,’_ Elena thought, laughing to herself at the sight of the red-haired girl twirling her cousin around the floor, before turning her attention back to the door to see Gabe and Carla carefully making their way down the stairwell. For a moment, she thought that, despite the formality, they looked _good_ together, the idea bringing a smile to her face as she made her way over, meeting them as soon as they hit the floor.

“There you two are!” She said, wrapped her arms around Carla. “Congratulations, again.”

“Thanks, Elena,” Carla smiled, joining hands with the princess as she scanned the room, took in the minimal, but elegant decorations, light, but perfectly prepared food spread and, of course, the lingering excitement. “Everything looks great.” 

“I figured you’d want to keep it simple, especially since we don’t know what Anna’s planning for hers.”

Carla nodded, added, “Knowing her, it’ll probably be –” She cut herself off when the music suddenly changed.

“Oh! I love this song!” Elena and Carla exclaimed together.

“Let’s dance,” Elena suggested, moving to grab Carla’s hand again and stopping when she pulled back.

“ _Actually_ ,” Carla said, moving to set a hand on Gabe’s arm, “Gabe offered to –”

“Well, don’t let me stop you,” The crown princess interrupted and promptly turned around, throwing her friend a smile over her shoulder before making her way over to where Mateo was intently watching Moana demonstrate her water powers.

“Shall we?” Gabe asked and Carla nodded as she took the hand he offered, let him lead her onto the floor and through the beginning of a traditional dance that he fumbled through, trying his best to remember the fast-paced steps he’d only learned a few times.

“Are you _sure_ you know how to do this?” His partner asked, moved back to avoid having her foot stepped on.

“I’m _sure_ ,” He insisted.

“Then why are you moving to the right? The next step is to the left and then back…” She trailed off, rolled her eyes at his failed attempt to maintain his pride. “You know what? Just follow me.” She ordered, quickly taking the lead and reveling in the stunned look on his face as she guided him through the steps, smiling when his movements became smoother as the steps came back to him and laughing when he twirled her around on cue. Both unaware of the two lingering sets of eyes keeping a close watch.

Elena smirked, shot Naomi a knowing look over Mateo’s shoulder that she nodded at from her place by the buffet table, quickly excusing herself out of the conversation she was having with Belle and Rapunzel and making her way over to where the band was playing, tapped on the conductor’s shoulder to get his attention and whispered a request as she slipped a gold coin into his hand.

The conductor raised an eyebrow, but nodded, turned a few pages in his music list as Naomi caught her best friend’s eye, gave her thumbs up, a small smirk playing at her lips when, as she was making her way back to the other girls, the music changed, the light-hearted, eager traditional sound fading into a soft, slow melody that startled everyone on the floor.

 _‘Wait…What?’_ Carla thought, steps halting when she processed the sudden shift in music, her confused expression quickly turning into surprise when Gabe suddenly pulled her in.

 _‘This I know how to do,’_ He thought, smiling internally at the way her eyes widened when, fueled by a sudden bout of confidence, he pulled her towards him, hands finding their proper places as the dynamic shifted.

Surprised by his boldness, Carla lost all semblance of thought, feet instinctively following the music as he took the lead and she willed herself to think of something – _anything_ – but the way Gabe’s hand was settled perfectly on her waist, or how her own hand fit perfectly in his other one or the way he–

 _‘Stop it. Get a hold of yourself, Carla,’_ She chastised herself, biting her lip as her gaze involuntarily shifted upwards, breath hitching when she met his, eyes locking as they moved about the floor, the world around them fading farther and farther with each step. She prayed that he wouldn’t notice the way she suddenly mis-stepped, heart thundering in her chest when she caught the subtle adoration in his gaze, as if she was the only thing he was seeing. It brought her back to the night of the Navidad Festival, to the moment where he _saw her_ for the first time. She still remembered the stunned expression on his face when Elena informed him that the girl he was attempting to flirt with was actually her. Still laughed when she thought about the way he fumbled over his words when he asked her to dance. Yet, when they hit the floor, all the reservations he had melted away as they both lost themselves to the music and the moment.

That night had been the first time Carla felt such emotion and, if she was truly honest with herself, the thought frightened her. It had been difficult enough to open up to her friends and allow herself to be cared for. The idea of giving so much more of herself, of wanting a deeper, emotional connection with someone, hadn’t crossed her mind until that point, and when it did, it both scared and… _excited_ her. Not that she would ever let either side show, at least, not intentionally. Flirting, manipulating, playing games…those, she all knew how to do. Being open and _honest_ about her feelings? Not so much. However, something about his presence calmed her, and the more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she felt, her well-built walls slowly crumbling with each interaction.

Unbeknownst to Carla, as he twirled her, Gabe’s thoughts began to wander as well. He too, found himself being brought back to the night of the festival, mind flooding over with images of elegantly hung decorations, shimmering ornaments, tables set with what seemed like miles of traditional treats and of course, a jovial, bustling ballroom. All around him people were talking, laughing, dancing, but there had been one in particular that stood out. _Her_. The girl with the glittering midnight gown and prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. When he spotted her, she had been laughing with Elena and, though it wasn’t easy, he decided to take a chance, only to end up feeling like an idiot when he not only fumbled through a basic compliment, but when Elena, unable to help herself, chuckled and informed him that the girl was actually _Carla_.

That was the moment that changed everything. The first time he saw her as more than part of their friend group. He would never say it aloud, but part of him was terrified when she accepted his offer to dance, but, once they made their way to the floor, falling into step was easy. Though Elena had mentioned it, he got to see for himself that night that Carla was an incredible dancer. Every step was timed perfectly with the music, not one missed as they moved about the floor, the light from the chandelier illuminating her face just so, eyes sparkling underneath smoky blue eyeshadow and…had her eyelashes always been so long? Little details he had never noticed before stuck out, the rest of world disappearing around them as they moved in time with each other and the music. After that night, he didn’t see her often. She had her life in the Mirror World to tend to, after all.

Wait.

_The Mirror World._

At that, he snapped back to reality. He hadn’t thought much about what would happen after she graduated and left the school, and she hadn’t told him, or anyone else as far as he knew, about her plans. If she decided to stay there permanently…

“Gabe?” Carla asked, her voice drawing him out of his thoughts.

There was a lingering pause as he thought about how to answer, his focus immediately shifting back to her as he spun her one last time, took in every small detail, from the amethyst gems embedded in her tiara to the tiered skirt that elegantly floated along with every movement, and even down to her violet painted toenails, the sight thoroughly distracting him as she came back into his arms and locked eyes with him again, his catching the way hers sparkled underneath the light. She looked, well, like a _princess_.

“Beautiful,” He finally, unconsciously answered her in a mutter.  
“What?” She said, slightly taken aback by what she _thought_ she heard. Eyebrow raising slightly in curiosity when she felt him tense up.

“You’re – I mean – Y…” Gabe trailed off and then paused, took in a breath to compose himself. There was no way he was going to ruin this moment. Not this time. “You look beautiful,” He finished just as the song did. 

“ _Oh_ ,” She murmured, unable to come up with any sort of viable response as her face flushed over. It wasn’t as if she’d never been called beautiful. Her father had been telling her she was beautiful since she was little. Several people over the years had said the same. Then there were the boys she managed to catch the eyes of, both the ones she had manipulated for her own gain time and time again and the few from the mirror world who asked her to dances and left notes in her locker on Valentine’s Day. But this time was completely different. It was _Gabe_ saying it. 

“T – Thank you,” She finally managed in a whisper, finding herself unable to raise her voice any higher.

He smiled, took the hand that was still resting in his and brought it to his lips, kissed the back before turning away, knowing that, if he lingered any longer, the moment would be ruined.

Carla stood still for a moment, watched as he silently walked off, briefly wondering if she had done something wrong before reality slowly came back to her, mind suddenly becoming aware of the setting and people around her. She shook her head, took in a breath in an attempt to calm herself, head and heart still reeling from the dance and his compliment as she stepped off the floor in the same moment that the music picked back up, the fun, lively melody being a stark contrast to the sudden wave of emotion that crept up on Gabe as he leaned against the balcony railing with a hard sigh, stared out into the garden.

He supposed he should be pleased. Despite his initial nervousness about the night, things had turned out alright. No, it was more than just ‘alright.’ It had been great, _amazing_ , even. Though small, he’d managed to have a meaningful conversation with Carla, something that was often difficult to accomplish due to the front she put up. He supposed he couldn’t blame her for that, after all, he had his own image to keep up. But, beyond her sharp words and feisty attitude, he knew there was another part. The part that she kept hidden from most of the world. The part that was adorably close to her father and loved to dance the night away. The part that shone through her eyes when she was genuinely, truly happy. The part that…He wanted to know more about and now wasn’t sure if he would get the chance to.

“Gabe?” A voice said, startling him. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard the quiet footsteps as they approached or even registered the presence of another person, things that were both extremely rare for him.

He sighed again, softer this time, and turned to see Elena making her way over to his side.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked, set a hand on the railing. “Did something happen?”

“No,” He replied, turned back to the garden. “Not really.”

Elena frowned, reached out to set a hand on his shoulder. “Gabe, look at me,” She requested and he obeyed, turned back to her. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t respond, not right away. Instead, he took a moment to contemplate his choices, confessed when he made up his mind, “I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?”

“Carla.”

The princess tilted her head curiously, allowed him to continue.

“I was starting to feel like we were _finally_ connecting, you know? I can actually _talk_ to her now,” He said, pausing before admitting, “Well, most of the time. And now that I’ve finally started unraveling her, I don’t want her to leave.”

“Leave? What are you –” Elena started, cutting herself off when she suddenly realised that he didn’t know, asked, “Carla didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“That she’s decided to stay here in Avalor.”

“Wait, _what_?” Gabe said, eyes widening as he processed her words.

Unable to help herself, Elena giggled softly at his stunned expression. “Yep. Why do you think she’s been back and forth so much over the past week? We’ve been trying to sort out and bring her stuff over here…Well, the things we _can_ bring, anyway. Did she seriously not tell you?”

“I guess it never came up,” The guard captain confessed, hand instinctively going to the back of his neck as he continued, “Not that it has to. It’s really not my business, anyway.”

“It is when you _still_ haven’t told her how you feel,” Elena pointed out, noting the uncharacteristic flush that came over his face as she spoke.

“I – I have no idea what – ” 

“Yes you do.”

Gabe sighed, returned to leaning over the railing. He knew she was right. Even though she never came out and said it, he _knew_ that Elena was aware of his growing feelings for their friend. The subtle remarks and knowing looks were enough to tell him so.

“It’s not that easy, alright?” He finally said after a brief silence. “You should know that. Didn’t it take you a long time to tell Mateo?”

“It did,” The crown princess confessed, moved to join him and placed a reassuring hand over his. “There was a lot to consider and I guess I sat on it for awhile because I was _scared_. I forced everything down for longer than I should have. Mateo is one of my best friends and I didn’t want to ruin what we already had. Plus, there were _his_ feelings to consider as well. What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if I scared him off? What of things just got…weird? There were a lot of questions,” She sighed, took a moment to process her own words before adding, “Questions that I’m sure you have too.”

“See?” Gabe said with a smile. “It’s hard. _Really_ hard. I don’t even know what happened. One minute we’re friends. Talking and laughing and running off to defend the kingdom together. Then the next, I’m suddenly thinking about how pretty her eyes are and how good she looks when she’s all dressed up. Not that she doesn’t look good normally.”

Elena laughed at his last sentence, “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I get it. It was the same for me. One day we’re laughing and joking away in his workshop and the next I’m thinking about pushing his hair out of his face to get a better look at his eyes. But, that’s the beauty of it. You don’t have to analyse it. You just _feel_ it.”

“But what about _Carla_? How does she feel? If at all. This is going to sound stupid, but even after the time we’ve spent, I still don’t know what she’s thinking half the time.”

“No one does,” Elena stated bluntly. “And that’s not anyone’s fault. It’s just that Carla isn’t very good at being honest about her feelings. There are still a lot of things even _I_ don’t know about her,” She explained and then paused, thought about her next words carefully before continuing, “But one of the things I do know is that she _likes you_ , Gabe.”

Stunned, he turned back to his friend, raised a curious eyebrow. “She does?” 

“Why do you think she flirts with you all the time?”

“I guess I thought she was just being a tease. Remember the whole Rita and Mateo thing?”

“Well, that was then and this is now. And now she’s not playing around. Trust me. Carla likes you. A lot,” Elena reassured him. “I probably shouldn’t have told you, but…”

Gabe cut her off. “No. I’m glad you did.”

“Just don’t tell her that I said anything.”

“I won’t,” He promised, a long pause hanging between them before Elena turned away with the intent to go back inside, pausing after just a few steps and turning back to add,

“One more thing. Remember what I said. Flirting and playing games, Carla knows how to do. But being honest about her feelings is difficult. So, you’re going to have to take the chance for _both_ of you.”

“Elena,” Gabe said, stopping her when she stepped away again.

“Hm?”

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Elena replied with a smile as stepped back over to him, grabbed his hand, “Now, let’s head back before people start asking questions.”

He nodded in response, followed her back into the party, which took up a surprisingly decent chunk of the night, only ending when Isabelle pointed out the time and how she and the other girls had to get back to their world before curfew.

After that, brief goodbyes were said, along with promises to return for the celebrations on their side before everyone split up for the night with the girls deciding to stay together in Elena’s room.

* * *

“If I had known you were going to bring them back, I would have just left mine here,” Naomi commented when Elena returned to her spot on the floor after letting in the servant who’d been charged with collecting the gifts from the party.

“I thought we’d have time to open them at the party, but…” Elena started with a shrug as Carla carefully took down and then brushed out her hair, while, behind her, Naomi ran a brush through Carla’s.

“…We got caught up with everything,” Carla finished, wincing when she felt a hard tug at the back of her head. “ _Ow_. Be careful!” She snapped.

“Sorry. Still not used to this,” Naomi explained, exchanged the brush for one of the combs sitting next to her and went to work carefully picking apart the tangle.

“Anyway,” Elena cut in, hoping to relieve the tension. “How was the party? You had fun, right?”

Carla nodded, added when she realised that her friend couldn’t see her, “Thank you for letting the girls come.”

“Of course! It was fun having them here.”

Naomi laughed, remembered, “Did you see how Anna nearly twirled Esteban into the buffet table?”

“And how he tried to hide from her for the rest of the night?” Elena added, all three busting into laughter at the memory and how Esteban had even tried hiding behind Francisco to avoid the girl.

“Try planning school dances with her,” Carla said, gently ran her fingers through a section of Elena’s hair to break up some lingering tangles. “I love Anna, but she’s too much sometimes.”

“What is her thing again? Loyalty?” Elena tried to recall. “Or was it creativity?”

“Laughter. And creativity isn’t an element.” 

“Right. Sorry. I have trouble keeping track of them all.”

Carla shrugged. “Don’t be. Even Mateo is still trying to gather information on them.”

“Is that why he spent the whole party taking notes?” Naomi teased.

Elena rolled her eyes playfully. “Hey! I got him to look up from his notes long enough to dance.”

Naomi smirked at the last word, bit back a laugh as she set her hands on and then leaned over Carla’s shoulders and said, “Speaking of dancing…”

Knowing what her best friend was up to, the crown princess smiled, looked over her own shoulder at Carla, who raised a curious eyebrow, looked from Elena to Naomi and back again, frowned at the look they exchanged. 

“ _What_?” She finally snapped.

“You and Gabe?” Elena said as if to remind her.

“That slow dance?” Naomi added.

“What about it?” Carla said, crossed her arms defensively. 

Naomi rolled her eyes at the smaller girl’s attitude. Even with her closest friends knowing about her feelings, she was still stubborn. “ _Come on_! We all saw the way you were looking at each other!” 

“It was like _you_ were the only thing he was seeing,” Elena swooned, remembering the first time she had caught Mateo giving her that same look as she turned around, took Carla’s hands in hers. “I – I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Carla lied, looking away to prevent the crown princess’ eyes from meeting her own, knowing they would betray her. 

The older girl gave a hard sigh as Naomi shifted, moved so that she was sitting next to her best friend, both noting how the usually feisty and fierce Carla tensed up, suddenly feeling nervous underneath their gazes.

“Yes you do,” Naomi commented, leaned in when Carla didn’t respond. “You’re blushing,” She teased, held in a laugh when her blush deepened. 

“I am _not_!”

Elena sighed. “Carla, look at me,” She requested softly, waiting while Carla gave her a few fleeting glances as she worked up the courage to finally look up and at her face. “There you go.”

Carla couldn’t help but smile at Elena’s light tease. She wasn’t sure how the princess did it, but she had gotten a little too good at bringing out her smile.

“You don’t have to hide this from us.”

“Not that you’re doing a good job, anyway,” Naomi pointed out, earning a glare from Carla in response.

Elena shrugged, admitted, “Well…She’s not wrong.”

“I know,” Carla finally admitted with a hard sigh. “And I _hate_ it.”

Naomi and Elena exchanged a curious look, neither saying a word as their friend continued.

“I spent a _long_ time learning how to mask emotion. I was taught to force everything down. To be angry at the world. ‘Don’t let your feelings get in the way,’ is what Papa would say. And I didn’t. Most of the time.”

“Is that why you never admitted you were lonely?” Naomi asked, remembering how surprised she was when, after her first visit to the mirror world, Elena had informed her that hidden underneath the attitude was a scared, lonely girl who’d never had even one real friend.

Carla nodded, shifted so that she could bring her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them as she continued, “And then _he_ showed up with his stupid handsome face and those stupid eyes and his stupid compliments and now I just – Ugh!” She put her head down with an annoyed groan, missing the silent laughs her friends gave at her words.

“Is there anything about him that _isn’t_ stupid?” Naomi asked, half-jokingly. While she was partially teasing in an attempt to lighten the mood, she was also extremely curious as to exactly _what_ Carla liked about Gabe. She and Elena both knew they were crushing on each other, but neither had said much about how it all started.

Carla lifted her head up, thought for a moment. “Well, there’s – and – I mean, he –” She tried, feeling the flush returning as she struggled to find the words. There was _plenty_ to like about him. In fact, she’d run herself in circles thinking about it. Yet, she couldn’t make herself say any of it out loud, so they sat in silence for a few minutes while she ran over the words in her head, eventually deciding that the whole conversation was annoying. Why were her feelings their business, anyway?

“You know what? Forget it,” Carla declared as she forced herself up, stalked over to the other side of the room and out to the balcony, slamming the door behind her.

“Carla!” Naomi called and moved to stand, only to be stopped by Elena’s arm.

“Give her a minute,” Elena said, knowing that chasing her down would accomplish nothing except making Carla even more annoyed and possibly angry. She didn’t like to be pressed when emotionally conflicted, something Elena learned and had to adapt to early on.

Meanwhile, out of her friends’ sight, Carla leaned against the door, gave a long sigh before making her way to the railing, instinctively pushing a piece of hair from her face when a light breeze came through just as she leaned over the rail.

“Why can’t I just _tell them_?” She whispered to herself as she looked up towards the stars, focusing on a particularly bright one as she unconsciously reached into the single pocket on her night dress, pulled out and opened the gold locket, turning to the portrait on the left.

“What would you say if you were here, Mama? Papa said he did all the work, chasing you down and trying to convince you to even look at him, but I don’t think that’s all true. The way he talks about you, I _know_ you felt something. Were you hiding too?” She paused, turned back to the sky. In the past, talking to her mother wasn’t something Carla often did, but over the past year and a half, with everything that had changed in her life, she found herself doing it more often, finding a strange comfort in being able to freely voice her feelings to someone, even if they had never met and she wasn’t physically there. But, in a way, that made it easier for her _to_ talk. Not having to be face-to-face with an actual person, watching their eyes as they listened and possibly judged her. Not that her friends ever _would_ judge her.

“I guess you have to when you’re on your own as a woman. You want to be the manipul _ator_ , not the one being manipulated. But, what happens when you find someone you _don’t_ want to manipulate?”

That thought in particular was foreign to her after being taught for years how to analyse, observe and break people, particularly men, down in order to exploit them and their weaknesses. She knew now that it was the wrong way to accomplish anything. Yet, she realised that she still held onto old habits, using her flirting skills to get a rise out of Gabe and break his usual, cool royal guard demeanor. She kept hoping he’d take the hints and realise what she was doing, but it hadn’t worked so far. Carla frowned, wondered if he was just dense and quickly shook her head at the thought. No. There was no way he was _that_ dense.

“Maybe…He’s conflicted too?” She asked herself, turned back to her locket. “Why is this so hard, anyway? Was it this hard for you? What about Papa?” She sighed again. “Not that I can ask him.” She had thought briefly about saying something to her father, even opened up her enchanted notebook with the intent to write him, but quickly realised that she couldn’t. He once told her that she could tell him anything, but she knew there was a line. Things that he didn’t need to know. Instead, though it took some time and courage, she chose to confide in Elena. She remembered that evening clearly. Upon request, Elena had come over to the mirror world, sat down with her in her flat after work one night. Despite the late hour, Elena listened intently, and was patient during the many strained pauses in the conversation, busying herself with brushing through Carla’s hair as they talked, revealing that she had harboured the same feelings for Mateo, and that it took her awhile to figure it out as well. Elena even admitted to being afraid of telling anybody, even Naomi, and that, she had eventually turned to her Abuela, much like how, when she realised she couldn’t keep hiding, Carla had come to _her_. She had validated her feelings, let her know that she wasn’t alone in this.

Carla gave a soft smile at the thought, turned to look back at the door, making out Elena and Naomi’s silhouettes as they talked amongst themselves, feeling the smallest twinge of guilt for the way she had reacted. Though pushy, she knew in the back of her mind that they wanted to know because they cared. Because they wanted her, _their friend_ , to be happy.

 _‘I guess I should go back,’_ She decided, gently closed the locket and slid it back into her pocket, giving one last glance up towards the sky before making her way back into the room, her entry interrupting their conversation as they both turned towards her.

“Feel better?” Elena asked and Carla nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I guess,” Carla sighed, asking as returned to her spot on the floor. “Why is this so _hard_?”

Elena smiled, reached over to place a hand over Carla’s. “Because when you’ve never felt like this before, you just don’t know how to deal. Trust me. I’ve been there. No one ever tells you how to handle it until it’s too late.”

“Plus, everyone handles it differently,” Naomi added and Elena nodded in agreement.

“At least you can actually _talk_ to Gabe. I was a mess when I was first figuring out my feelings,” Elena admitted with a light blush as she recalled how she would fumble over small tasks and her words during those first few days after her own realisation.

“I remember that!” Naomi said, laughed at the memory before adding, “You were so distracted during that Grand Council meeting.” 

“And Esteban lectured me for it,” Elena recalled, a smile breaking across her face as _another_ , more recent memory came to mind. “Speaking of distractions, you should have seen the way Gabe looked at Carla this morning when we came out of Doña’s shop.”

“Can you blame him? That dress does look incredible on me,” Carla bragged, flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Naomi rolled her eyes at her friend’s attitude, threw a pillow at her face.

“ _Hey_!” The smaller girl snapped, throwing a glare first at Naomi and then Elena when she laughed.

“Sorry,” Elena apologised, took a moment to compose herself. “She’s not wrong. Sort of. You _did_ look nice tonight.”

“Gabe thought so too,” Carla revealed before she could stop herself, instantly regretted it when both of the other girls’ eyes widened as they eagerly leaned forward in anticipation.

“Did he say something?” Elena asked in the same moment Naomi also asked,  
“What did he say?”

Carla recoiled slightly, less than appreciative at having her space invaded. She considered walking away again, but knew it wouldn’t solve anything. And, surprisingly, a part of her _wanted_ to tell them, once they backed away, of course. “You’re in my space,” She declared with a wave of her hand, silently signaling them to back up, which they did, a brief pause settling as she ran over the images in her head, the flush returning when she recalled the way he had looked at her, eyes locked on hers as he uttered the words that had been echoing in her head for the better part of the night.

“You don’t have to tell us if you don –” Elena started, afraid that their pushing would drive her away again. 

Carla cut her off, the words _finally_ forming as she confessed, “He told me I looked beautiful.”

Elena and Naomi didn’t respond right away, only blinked before exchanging the same stunned looked and then turning back to Carla, both their faces breaking into wide smiles.

“No wonder you looked so dazed after that dance,” Naomi remembered.

“Did he _really_ say that? Wow,” Elena commented.

Carla crossed her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The crown princess laughed. “Nothing,” She reassured. “I’m just surprised he worked up the courage to say it.”

“Maybe we should congratulate him?” Naomi teased, received a pillow in the face as a response.

“Okay, I deserved that,” She admitted.

“Yes, you did,” Carla confirmed.

Elena shook head, laughed. “You two,” She muttered to herself before turning to Carla,

“Why don’t we open your gifts?” She suggested as she stood and made her way over to the desk where the boxes and bags were sitting, hoping to shift the focus for a bit.

“Fine with me,” Carla shrugged and Naomi stood as well, moved to assist her best friend in carrying everything over, most of it being from their friends and family in Avalor.

“Your Mirror World friends didn’t get you anything?” Naomi asked after briefly glancing at the tags.

“No. Well, not _yet_ , anyway. We decided to do a secret Santa type deal,” Carla explained, took the bag Elena handed over, “Otherwise we would have had to buy _five_ separate gifts each and it would have been too much. Not that I listened.”

Elena shrugged, said, “You didn’t have a choice. You can’t just give _one_ of them a notebook and not the others. Besides, Mateo doesn’t mind.” 

“I would be easier if mobiles worked over here…” Carla muttered, trailed off when she opened the box in her hands, and gave it curious look. “What is this?”

“It’s a hair comb,” Naomi explained, gently took the small box out of Carla’s hands, pulled the mentioned object from it, revealing the golden comb sitting under the three flowers. “I fixed it up myself.”

“Fixed it up?”

“When I bought it, the paint was chipped and some of the jewels had fallen out. But, I figured I could fix it. It just look a little paint and _a lot_ of patience. My mom helped too. She was the one who figured out how to get the jewels back into place _and_ where to find replacements.”

Stunned, Carla carefully took the comb back, flipped it over a few times, taking in the perfectly painted, royal blue flowers, the golden vines sitting on both sides of them, and the neatly placed sapphire gems throughout the piece. “You…did this? _For me_?”

“It was nothing, really, I just – _oh_ ,” Naomi cut herself off when Carla suddenly moved, wrapped her arms around her. Surprised by the unexpected bit of affection, it took her a moment to react. She was used to getting hugs from Elena, but had noticed that Carla wasn’t as touchy and chose to take it as a compliment as she returned the hug with a smile. 

“Thank you,” Carla said as she pulled away, placed the accessory back in its box and set it aside before reaching for one of the other boxes, only to be stopped when Elena shoved one into her hands.

“Open Gabe’s present,” She insisted. 

“Okay, okay,” The younger girl huffed, glanced over the neatly wrapped box tied with a purple ribbon and raised an eyebrow at it, curious as to what he possibly could have bought that was so big. Well, bigger than the other, smaller boxes scattered around, anyway.

 _‘I guess there’s only one way to find out,’_ She said to herself, untied the ribbon and set it aside, figuring she could use it for something later, both friends eagerly watching and waiting as she tore off the paper and then finally pulled off the box top, eyes widening when she caught site of the royal blue fabric inside.

“Is that a _dress_?” Naomi asked, exchanging a stunned look with Elena before they both turned back to Carla as she pulled the garment up and out of its box.

“It _is_ a dress!” Elena confirmed in awe. “A pretty one, too.”

“But, _why_?” Carla asked, continued to stare at it, and turned it over a few times as if to make sure it was real.

“I guess you’ll have to ask him,” Elena said, frowning as her friend set the dress back in its box, exchanged it for one of the bags. “You’re not going to try it on?” 

Carla shook her head. “Not right now.”

“Oh, come on! You _have_ to,” The crown princess insisted, quickly snatching up the garment and scrambling up before the smaller girl had a chance to react.

“Elena, I really don –” Carla started to protest, trailing off when Elena leaned down, held her hand out, and then sighing when, after a moment of hesitation, she conceded, figuring that she may as well amuse her best friend, especially after everything she’d done for her that day.

“That dress looks great on you!” Elena complimented when Carla stepped out from behind her dressing curtain.

“Who knew Gabe had such good taste?” Naomi commented as Carla stepped over to the full-length mirror, took a moment to admire her reflection. Surprisingly, the dress fit nicely and had a simple elegance to it, the main part of the garment being a dark, royal blue colour accentuated with a lighter shade on the piece that hung off of and wrapped around her shoulders, the colour matching that of the sash, which was adorned with a bow at the left side, and the second layer of the skirt. 

“I guess it’s cute,” Carla observed, trying and failing at hiding the soft smile that broke through her façade.

“You _like it_ ,” Elena teased, adjusted the sash.

“Maybe a little.”

Both Naomi and Elena shook their heads at the comment just as the princess sent Carla off again, told her she could change back now that they confirmed that the dress both fit _and_ looked good. When she returned, she put the garment back in its box, set it aside and turned her attention to the remaining gifts, most of which were pieces of jewellery or hair accessories, minus the inscribed notebook she received from Mateo with a note about their magic lessons and the history book from Esteban that she tossed behind her, muttering about how she hadn’t yet started lessons with him and he was _already_ attempting to give her homework, which made Elena slightly nervous about having even suggested the idea of Esteban tutoring Carla in order to prepare her for her new role. But, she quickly shook the feeling off as they returned to talking about that day and what was to come in the following few, including the two parties they were scheduled to attend just before the exhaustion finally hit and a collective decision was made to turn in for the night, Carla harbouring a small, secret smile as she settled into her spot next to Naomi thinking as her mind suddenly flashed back to that dance, that, even if she would never admit it aloud, she would _love_ to dance with him again.


	3. Distractions and Decisions

_“Carla likes you. A lot.”_

Those words echoed in Gabe’s head for the better part of the evening, drawing out a range of emotions that he pushed down for the duration of the party, only letting it all resurface when he was finally alone and settled in his room.

“She likes me,” He said to himself, leaning back against his pillows. Though he knew Elena must have felt a little guilty about telling him, he was grateful that she did. Grateful to have his biggest question answered, as Carla’s flirting often left him confused. While he was flattered by the attention, which had initially caught him off-guard, he was also cautious of it. He knew Carla was a flirt. Everyone did. It’s how she had always gotten people to do what she wanted in the _past_. Yet, despite having seen the changes over time, he still exercised caution, most of the time. He knew he slipped up occasionally, unable to help the feelings that would crop up whenever they touched, whether it be her teasing him by sliding a finger underneath his chin after a flirtatious remark, or her hand settling into his when he assisted her in stepping into carriages. Then there was the way she had settled against him that night, head resting comfortably on his shoulder as they strolled the halls. _That_ , he knew, was genuine. Those small, unconscious moments were the one thing he had never doubted.

However, as grateful as Gabe was, he was equally terrified. Knowing that she liked and possibly had feelings for him helped ease his fears a little. But, it also brought forth a host of other questions. If there _were_ already feelings, did that mean she had expectations? And if she did, what if he couldn’t meet them? Or, worse, what it really _was_ all some kind of game?

 _‘Okay, now you’re just being stupid,’_ Gabe scolded himself, turned over. Of _course_ it wasn’t a game. Though subtle, there were hints that told him that she wasn’t, as Elena had said, “playing around.” The genuine surprise she had shown that night when he finally got up the courage to compliment her was one of them. It was rare that Carla was caught off guard. He figured that years of being on the run and having to always watch her back were responsible for that. He smiled to himself as he recalled the stunned look on her face accompanied by an obvious and _adorable_ blush – yet another one of those small signs. As he drifted off, he was brought back first to that moment and then to the dance leading up to it. She really had looked liked a princess, carried herself like one too, especially on the dance floor. He found himself wanting to dance with her again, maybe in the garden next time.

* * *

Despite having turned in later that normal, Gabe was still up early the following morning. He wondered when he stepped outside what kind of person Carla was when it came to mornings. Was she an early riser like he was? Granted, that was thanks in part to his job. But, over time he came to appreciate the quiet hush of the morning, of being able to catch a few minutes alone with his thoughts before the palace woke, staff and royals alike bustling about and preparing for the day. _Or_ , was she the exact opposite? Perhaps she was someone who had trouble waking up and cursed the sun for existing and interrupting her dreams. It certainly sounded like something Carla would do, given her haughty attitude towards things that got in her way. He laughed to himself, shook his head at the thought as he approached the stable.

“Fuego!” He greeted his horse, who looked up excitedly at the sound of his name and nudged Gabe when he stopped in front of the stall. “Good morning to you too,” The Captain of the Guard replied, presented the horse with the apple he had been holding onto, laughed at the eager look on Fuego’s face as he eyed the treat. Though he knew the staff looked after and took excellent care of the horses, he still made it a habit to visit Fuego nearly every morning. As silly as it sounded, he knew they both enjoyed this time, which Gabe often used to voice and gather his thoughts together before the official start of the day. He had always enjoyed spending time with animals when he was younger. They always seemed to listen when no one else would, or, rather, when he felt like he couldn’t talk to an actual person and Fuego was no exception.

“She likes me, Fuego,” Gabe offered, leaned against the stall door, explained when he caught the confused look he received in response, “Carla, remember? Elena’s friend? Usually wears a purple ribbon in her hair?” He paused, watched Fuego’s expression as he tried to recall the information, at least, that what he seemed to be doing, and then finally gave an excited whinny when he did.

“See? I knew you remembered,” He teased, admitted as he patted the horse’s head. “Elena told me at the party last night. I’m not sure if she was supposed to, but I’m glad she did. I’ve been running myself in circles wondering about it.” He paused again, a soft smile playing at his features as images from the previous night came flooding back.

Gabe sighed to himself, recalled, “She looked _amazing_ last night. She had on this beautiful purple dress. And her eyes were just – ” He cut himself off, sighed again, “Listen to me, I sound like an idiot, don’t I?”

Fuego shook his head, gently nudged his caretaker.

“Thanks, Buddy. I learned something else too. Carla’s staying here in Avalor. She’s not going to live in the Mirror World anymore,” He revealed, laughed at the eager nod and whinny the horse gave. “I know, right? Now that I don’t have that to worry about, I figured it’s about time I ask her out. What do you think?”

Fuego thought for a moment, nodded.

“Now the question is…” Gabe contemplated as he began to pace in front of the stall, “How do I go about it? I guess I could try being casual,” He said, moved to lean against a nearby support pole, “ _Carla._ You. Me. Dinner. What do you say?” He tried, pointing first to himself and then the air as he said the names. He frowned, immediately groaning and shaking his head at his own actions and the look Fuego gave him. “No. That’s stupid. She’d probably just laugh at me.” 

He paused, took a few more steps. “How about a more romantic approach?” He contemplated, grabbed a piece of straw from the floor when he knelt down, figuring it would do for now as he reached up, pretended to take a hand. “This might sound corny, but…I think about you all the time. I can’t stand watching from afar anymore,” He said to the air, brought his other hand around from his back. Imagining the straw to be a flower, he continued, “Miss Delgado, will you do me the honour of accompanying me to dinner tonight?”

Fuego gave the same annoyed look, huffed as if to say, _“really? That’s what we’re going with?”_ “You’re right. That doesn’t sound like me at all. I sound like _Alonso_. Ugh,” He concluded, tossed the straw behind his shoulder. “And since when do I call her Miss Delgado?” He returned to his spot by the stall door, resumed leaning against it. 

“Maybe I should just be honest?” He asked himself, took in a breath as he straightened up. “Carla, I have feelings for you and I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me?” He said, turned back to his horse, who simply tilted his head as if he was unsure how to answer.

“I’ll work on it later,” Gabe promised, gently patted Fuego’s head. “I have to head to breakfast now, but I’ll be back this afternoon for some training exercises.” He gave the horse one last pat, handed over a second, small apple before heading out and back to the guard barracks, double-checked the roster for the day and made sure both groups -- those who were on the day rotation _and_ those scheduled for the day’s training session – were up and ready before actually making his way to breakfast.

“There you are,” Rico commented when Gabe joined his table. “We were starting to think you wouldn’t show.”

Confused, Gabe asked, “Why?”

“Santiago said you got in late last night,” Rico said. “When you didn’t show up first thing, we figured you slept in.” 

“I had some things to take care of this morning, that’s all,” Gabe clarified with a shrug, turned to his food.

“Heard you got invited to Elena’s party last night,” One of the other guards cut in, earned a fleeting glance in response.

“Man, you get invited to all the good parties,” Another spoke up.

Gabe shrugged again, “It wasn’t anything special. In fact, it was pretty uneventful,” He said, hoping it sounded convincing. His mother always said he was a terrible liar. But, this was only _half_ a lie. To everyone else who attended, the party _could_ be described as uneventful. There were no major issues. No magical mishaps. Just friends having fun and hanging out together. But, to _him_ , it had been the exact opposite. Sure, nothing crazy had happened, but finding out that the girl he’d been harbouring feelings for might feel the same way _was_ a pretty big deal. The problem now was figuring out how to admit his own feelings without scaring her off. After all, Elena had said that Carla _was_ terrible when it came to being honest about things like this. The thought brought a small, unconscious smile to his face. Of course she was guarded, she -- 

“And what are you smiling about?” Rico teased, voice cutting through the Captain’s thoughts and immediately snapping him back to reality. 

“Huh?” Gabe asked, quickly shook his head in an attempt to ward off any lingering thoughts. “Oh, it’s Nothing.”

Rico shrugged, decided it wasn’t worth prying any further. Not that he was interested in the subject anyway. “Whatever. Now, about this afternoon’s training course…”

Gabe sighed as he set his glass down, “I _told you_ , the point of throwing you in blindly is to prepare you for unknown situations.” 

“Oh, _come on_. You can’t give us even a little hint?” The other guard asked.

Though Gabe wanted to laugh at their insistence, he didn’t, only said as he stood, “Sorry guys.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Rico asked.

“To check on the set up for this morning’s training exercises,” Gabe explained and headed out before another word could be said, shaking his head once he was out of sight. The other guards had been attempting to pry information out of him about the course all week. He understood where they were coming from, having played his fair share of guessing games when it came to the various training courses he’d dealt with over the past few years, but he also found that, as Captain, he enjoyed keeping them guessing. However, that afternoon’s course wasn’t his main priority as he stepped into his office and picked up a handful of paperwork, that morning’s physical training was. When he finally made his way onto the training ground, he found, as expected, several lower-ranking guards moving about and setting up various portions of the course that he carefully looked over, making sure the stations were set up according to his notes and lending a hand when needed, everyone finishing just as the assigned group arrived.

After confirming the roster, Gabe separated them into groups, explaining that the purpose of the course was to prepare for that afternoon. To work on a mix of skills, including speed, endurance and teamwork that he intended to participate in as well, pairing himself with one of the lesser-skilled guards. He knew the boy was just out of training, and the notes he received said that his coordination and physical skills weren’t as up to par as the others in his group, so, Gabe decided to step in. After all, if he could coach Elena, who had little skill in the sport, into being a tournament-winning fencer, he could help this guy improve his coordination, at least, that’s what he thought. Despite going into the various tasks with high spirits, he quickly found those spirits being pulled back down, and not because of his trainee. The cadet actually caught on rather quickly and was receptive to his teaching. No. It was his own thoughts that brought him down.

No matter how hard he fought it or how many times he willed himself to think of something else, his train of thought somehow kept looping back around to _her_. Instead of concentrating on his footwork during sword training, he found himself thinking back to that morning, mind soon wandering from strategies to best his opponent back to strategies for how to properly ask her out. He knew what he had to say. It was figuring out how to say it that was difficult. It had already been established that neither a casual nor overly romantic approach would work.

 _‘I could combine the two,’_ He thought to himself, moved to dodge Rico’s strike. _‘Something that’s low pressure but has a romantic feel. Let her know that I’m serious, but not make it seem like I’m pushing her. I don’t think she – ’_ He was cut off by something meeting with his chest.

“You’re dead. _Again_ ” Rico declared, punctuating the last word with a sigh as he dropped his wooden sword, crossed his arms. “What is _wrong_ with you, today?” 

“What do you mean?” Gabe asked, hoping he sounded nonchalant enough.

“That’s the third round you’ve lost. It’s like you’re not even trying! It’s no fun defeating you if you don’t fight back,” The younger guard snapped.

Though he knew he could and probably should scold Rico for the disrespectful comments, he didn’t. Because Gabe knew that he was right. He _hadn’t_ been trying. He’d been distracted since he woke up and had been letting his wandering thoughts get the better of him despite trying everything to push them _out_ of this mind. When he did succeed, it was just long enough to complete the task at hand before those small details began to crop up again. Of course, they didn’t stay small. They lingered and built until his mind was unable to focus on anything but Carla. He’d even head her laugh in the back of his mind when Rico knocked him down during their second round, wondered if she knew just how _adorable_ her laugh was.

 _‘What **is** wrong with me today?’ _Gabe asked himself, shook his head at the thought before replying, “I’m sorry. I just have a lot going on.” He paused, took in a breath and turned to address the group, apologising for his lack of productivity and promising to pull himself together. He decided in that moment to sit the next round out and instead focus on his reports, the paperwork providing a _much_ more welcome distraction as he walked around the complex, observing each guard’s progress and making the necessary notes in their files. Paperwork was usually his _least_ favourite thing to do, but it kept his mind on his job, at least until one of the groundskeepers, who was pulling a wagon of flowers behind him, approached and presented a set of instructions for the planting of them to Gabe, who quickly pointed him in the correct direction, eyes unconsciously following the man when he headed off. The wagon was overflowing with flowers of various colours to be placed and planted along the outer edges of the complex, most of which were shades of orange and red, with the exception of the few _purple_ blooms hanging over the edge. Though he had never paid much attention to them before, Gabe found himself being drawn to the colour of the flowers, which was an _almost_ perfect match for those violet eyes that had been in the back of his mind all day.

It was once said that eyes were “windows to the soul,” and Carla’s were no exception. She put up a decent front most of the time, but there were times when her eyes would betray her. That, and her small, rarely caught nervous ticks. He wasn’t sure how or why he noticed it, but when something was bothering her and she couldn’t force it down, she tended to fidget with either her bracelet, or, if it was down, pieces of her hair.

He laughed to himself, smiled at the thought as he turned back to his clipboard with the intent to _hopefully_ refocus on his work and not the way Carla’s fingers delicately toyed with one of her long bangs the day he’d been volun _told_ into visiting her in the Mirror World or the way her eyes flicked to the floor when they’d walked into her apartment, which, at the time, was a bit of a scattered mess that she explained was due to studying for finals while helping Anna with planning for the prom on top of keeping up with her job. It was the first time she’d ever talked about the work she did in that realm in detail and he –

“ _Hey_!” He exclaimed, instantly snapping back to reality when something hit him square in the back. He turned to glare in the direction it came from, eyes meeting with those of one of the younger guards, who immediately straightened up under the Captain’s hard gaze.

“Sorry, Captain,” He apologised while, behind him, his partner shook his head. He wanted to say something about the larger man’s terrible reflexes, but held back encase it only made the situation worse.

Gabe sighed, went to retrieve the ball that had hit him and threw it back with a warning. He wouldn’t say it aloud, but he knew it was partially his own fault. If he had been paying attention to his squad, he could have caught it or at least moved out of the way.

“That’s it,” He muttered to himself, thinking as he stalked back over to his bag, set the paperwork down. _‘I can’t keep doing this all day. I think…I think I’m just going to have to get it over with. I’m going to have to tell her. Today. Now. Well, maybe not now…’_ He glanced up, looked at the clock situated on one of the walls. _‘But soon. **Very** soon. I wonder if Carla’s having this much trouble with…Ugh. Stop thinking about her!’_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Gabe, at the same moment, Carla was busy with her magic lessons. Or, rather, she was _supposed_ to be. Mateo was talking, but she barely caught a word, her mind wandering away from the mundane lecture on potion conversion and back to the previous night’s dance, which she had been lingering on all morning, a soft smile playing at her lips as she found herself back in the moment when, after the sudden change in music, Gabe pulled her in towards him. At first, it startled her. The bold move was so unlike him. He had always been careful with her, both with his words and actions, aside from the time he had to catch her when she overestimated the longevity of a levitating spell while hanging festival decorations. He’d acted quickly then as well, his movements almost calculated as he sprinted across the ballroom floor, ended up in the right place at _exactly_ the right time. While falling, she had felt like an idiot. Probably looked like one too. But, the moment she had landed in his arms, those feelings vanished and were replaced by first relief and then a spark of something…something she couldn’t place at the time when she finally looked up at her saviour, breath catching as she admired his perfect profile, wondered why she never noticed how attractive he was before.

Carla gave an uncharacteristically dreamy sigh at the memory, leaned her head on one of her hands, the other idly doodling in the margins of her lesson book. Even though it had only been a brief moment, she had found herself lingering on how she liked the feeling of his arms around her. She had always been secretly partial to being held. Of course, up until then, the only person who’d ever held her was her father. But, with Gabe it felt different. Being with him made her feel safe and secure, like he would always be there to protect her. Granted, she didn’t need much protecting, but it was still a nice thought. He hadn’t thought twice about it that time, acting purely on instinct. Yet, despite knowing that, she couldn’t help the way her heart beat just a little faster when he finally looked down and asked if she was alright. There was an honest concern in his eyes that never seemed to fade completely. He was always watching and looking out for others, especially his friends. She admired that. Thinking of others was something she was still struggling with, but he did it so…flawlessly. Was that the right word?

She paused at the thought, immediately decided it didn’t matter and shrugged it off, told herself that she should return to her _actual_ notes and not the sickeningly romantic nonsense scrawled in the margins, but, she didn’t. Instead, she found herself flashing back to yesterday when she stepped out of Doña’s emporium in her new dress. It hadn’t been hard to fall in love with the garment with its flowing layers of fine violet fabric. It was stunning. _She_ was stunning. And she knew it. And, apparently so did Gabe, whose demeanor broke the moment he laid eyes on her. She could see the _exact_ moment in her head. Remembered how his eyes first widened, following her every step as she approached before flicking downwards once she was close enough to look her over. He probably thought she wouldn’t notice, but she did. Oh, how she had wanted to laugh. Not maliciously, just…amusedly. She loved the power she occasionally held over him. Loved how, with just a flit of her eyelashes or a simple comment, she could have his focus completely shifted to her. It was even better when she wasn’t trying, which she hadn’t been, not at that time. After all, she _was_ still a mess with her untied, barely-brushed hair and lack of makeup. Yet he still looked at her like…like…

 _‘Huh_? _’_ Carla thought, her fantasy being broken by an unfamiliar and rather annoying sound.

“Hello? Everrealm to Carla Delgado,” Mateo said, snapping his fingers in front of her face as he spoke and getting first a blank, bleary stare in response as reality slowly came back to his student. At least, that what he figured was happening. When he finally looked up at her after finishing a rather exciting bit about the various substitution options for different flower extracts and how each could enhance a potion, he realised that she wasn’t paying attention _at all_ and probably hadn’t heard even a single word of his carefully-prepared lecture. He’d glanced up a few times before, assumed that, because her hand was moving, she was taking notes, but when he stopped long enough to catch the expression on her face, he quickly realised that her mind was elsewhere and had his suspicions confirmed when, even after calling her name twice, she didn’t respond.

Once reality finally set it, Carla shot up, shook her head to clear any lingering thoughts before turning to her instructor. “When did you get there?”

The young wizard sighed, shoulders slumping as he lamented, “You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” He had spent days on that lecture, eagerly pouring through spellbooks and taking notes. He knew he needed to be thorough, potions, particularly conversions, were arguably Carla’s worst subject. She didn’t like being patient and waiting for things to work. She wanted immediate results, which was a whole other thing they were working on. Still, he kept going. He wanted her to understand it, and was doing everything he could to make it easier, at least that’s what he _thought_ he was doing. He was fascinated by his own work. He loved digging into the darker aspects of magic and learning how they worked with and against his own, light magic, and found that she did too. Most of the time.

Carla rolled her eyes, “Of _course_ , I did,” She lied, discreetly turned a page in her notebook before he could even think to look down at it. There was no way she was going to admit aloud that she hadn’t caught a single word, especially considering _why_ she had checked out, which she’d been doing all morning. She had only gotten out of the bath when Elena knocked on the door and jolted her out of her fantasy, had to be reminded by Luisa to actually _eat_ her breakfast, and barely remembered to grab her lesson books after getting changed. She hated herself for it. Hated Gabe for making her feel this way. Okay, maybe that last part wasn’t quite true. She couldn’t make herself hate him if she tried.

Mateo cocked an eyebrow. Carla was an excellent liar, and if he hadn’t already spent the better part of the last few minutes trying to get her to re-focus, he probably would have believed her. “Uh-Huh,” He said with a nod, challenged, “What was the last thing I just said?”

“Oh, that’s – There was – You said that –” Carla tried, racked her brain to come up with something _anything_ related to the lecture and frowning when she only drew blanks. She turned away from him, crossed her arms with an annoyed huff, refusing to admit that he had caught her.

He sighed again, reached over to set a hand on her shoulder. He supposed he could scold her, but that wasn’t his style. Never had been. Instead, he asked, “Are you feeling okay? It’s not like you to zone out like that.”

“Hm?” She muttered, gave him a fleeting glance as she considered her options and then took in a breath. “Yesterday gave me a lot to think about, that’s all.” It wasn’t a lie. Not really. She _did_ have a lot to think about, he just didn’t need to know what those things were.

“I guess you are going through a lot right now,” Mateo thought out loud. Between her move, tying up loose ends in the Mirror World and transitioning back into not only Avaloran, but palace life, she _did_ have a lot going on. He paused, took a moment to gather his thoughts before making a decision, “I have an idea. Why don’t we go outside and practice some spells?”

That got her attention.

He smiled when she finally turned around to face him. Though she retained a calm demeanor, there was an eager spark in her eyes. 

“Really?”

He nodded. “Maybe the fresh air will help clear your mind. Besides, there are some double-hit spells I wanted you to try.”

“Double-hit spells?” She asked curiously, receiving a nod in response before Mateo moved around the desk.

“I found some good beginner spells when I was flipping through your spellbooks,” He explained as he rifled through one of the mentioned books, found the page he had marked. “They’re relatively simple things. Cloud summoning, shadow illusions, things like that.”

Carla frowned when he put the book in front of her, opened her mouth to protest.

Mateo spoke before she could, “Remember what I told you. You can’t just jump into advanced spells. You have to take it a step at a time. Double-hit spells, particularly dark ones, are really powerful. If you don’t get it exactly right, you could cause a lot of damage.”

“Right,” Carla muttered under her breath, unconsciously tapped her nails on the desk as she read over the incantations and he shuffled about, gathering papers and both tamboritas.

“Ready?” He asked, handed over her tamborita.

She didn’t respond, only nodded as she stood and took the drum wand, picking up and carrying both her notebook the spellbook with her other hand as they made their way out of his workshop and into the palace garden, Mateo rattling off facts about double-hit spells and what he had learned in his research along the way, please to see that this time, Carla was actually listening to him.

“I want you to try the cloud summoning spell first,” He instructed once they stopped and sat on the edge of the courtyard fountain, waited while she looked over the spell.

“So I just have to bang the tamborita twice?” Carla asked as she read over the page again.

“There’s more,” Mateo informed her, reached over to turn the page.

“Oh. I have to hit it after each _word_.”

Mateo nodded in confirmation, took the book when she handed it over before standing to attempt the spell.

 _‘Okay. After each word,’_ Carla reminded herself, took in a breath and said the first word, hit the drum and repeated the sequence with the second part, stepped back to observe as a stream of dark purple magic made its way up and into the sky, parts of which slowly started to turn black. She frowned at the result.

“What’s wrong?” Mateo asked, catching her disappointed expression. “That was good for a first try.”

“No it _wasn’t_! The book said that it should turn the _whole sky_ black!”

“Yes, but it was only your first time. Try again.”

“Fine,” Carla muttered, did as she was told and repeated the spell, this time smiling when the clouds spread out, covered a wider portion of the sky.

Mateo nodded, ordered, “Good. Now change it back.”

“I can do that?” Carla asked, glanced from him to her Tamborita and back again.

“You should be able to.”

She raised an eyebrow, stalked back to the fountain to look over the spell’s page again, frowning when, even after reading it three times, she couldn’t find a way to reverse it.

“There’s nothing here about reversing it,” She informed him, receiving a frown in response as he stepped over, took the book in his own hands.

“Maybe it’s in another spell book?” Mateo contemplated aloud, flipped a page, thinking it strange that there was in fact, nothing about a reversal spell. At least, not in that particular book. He turned a few more pages, looked back at the index before giving up and shutting the book with a sigh. “I’ll take a look through some of the other material after we finish here,” He decided, used one of his own spells to clear the sky for the time being. “For now, let’s move onto the illusions. Now…” He started, looking back towards the book and carefully going over the process while Carla listened, took notes and then looked over the pages when he returned to her side to point out a few particularly important facts, grateful that she was back to being attentive. She usually was when it came to spell casting.

“Now, remember, you have to keep your mind clear. Concentrate on what you want to appear,” Mateo advised as she prepared for her first try and contemplated what she would conjure up first as he turned to his own notebook with the intent to jot down a few notes on her progress, but, before he could put pen to paper, he was interrupted by both the sound of footsteps and someone calling his name. He looked up, turned towards the source.

“Gabe?” He asked, gave the man a curious look.

 _‘Gabe?!’_ Carla thought, quickly forgetting about the spell and shifting her attention to the Captain of the Guard, who, upon catching her eyes, shifted awkwardly, the sight drawing a small smile out of her.

“What brings you here?” Mateo asked. “I thought the course details weren’t due until tomorrow.”

“They’re not,” Gabe confirmed. “I actually came to – ” He started and then stopped himself, realised he hadn’t accounted for Mateo’s presence and mentally kicked himself. He’d been so focused on how to approach and what to say to Carla that he somehow forgot that she wouldn’t be alone, even after Elena had specifically said that she was doing magic _lessons_ , which obviously involved her teacher. He paused, eyes darting from Mateo to Carla, who gave a soft, almost uncharacteristic, girlish giggle and batted her eyelashes at him.

“Gabe?” Mateo interrupted, oblivious to the exchange.

“Huh? Oh, right!” Gabe replied, cleared his throat and tried again. “Mateo, can I borrow your student?” 

_‘Me? He came to see me?’_ Carla realised, heartbeat suddenly quickening at the thought. There were several other things he could – and probably should -- be doing with his lunchtime and yet, he was _there_ , awkwardly interrupting the lesson and specifically asking for _her_. In fact, he looked a little disappointed that Mateo was even there.

“We’re in the middle of a lesson,” The wizard pointed out.

“It won’t take long,” Gabe reassured him, waiting while his two friends exchanged a look, both considering their options before Mateo relented, asked his student,

“What do you think?”

Carla nodded, fearing that if she spoke, she’d just end up fumbling over her words. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin this -- whatever it was -- by looking like an idiot. She already felt like one. Despite her best efforts and all her years of training, of being taught to hide her feelings, she was unable to hide either her smile or the light flush she could feel on her cheeks. She then became grateful that her hair was tied up, knowing that if it was down, she would start playing with it.

Luckily, Mateo didn’t seem to notice as he said, “Alright. Meet me in the workshop when you’re done. I’m going to see if I can find that reversal spell.”

He tapped his tamborita and each book and piece of paper glowed as it flew into a neat stack. While that happened, Gabe and Carla remained in their respective places, only turning towards each other when they were sure he was out of sight and then immediately turning back again, both feeling unable to face the other.

 _‘What is wrong with me?’_ Carla asked herself, delicately fiddling with her tamborita. She had _just_ seen him the night before, even confided in him about the issues with her father. They had _danced_ together, for goodness sake! She closed her eyes, took a breath, tried to remind herself that this was just Gabe. Her friend. Who had feelings for her. _‘No. Stop it! Don’t think about that!’_ She ordered herself, knowing that such thoughts would only make things worse. She’d been trying to keep it out of her mind since the day she confirmed it. Thinking about it only made her thoughts and her heart race and she hated it. Hated how, without even trying, he’d claimed a piece of her previously closed-off heart and made her feel things she couldn’t understand. Things she wanted to run from. Most of the time. There were other times when she…

“Huh?” She muttered aloud, thoughts halting when a hand came down on her shoulder, prompting her to look up and finally register Gabe’s presence as he stood over her. When did he get there? He had just been…Oh, it didn’t matter. The point was he was there now.

She took in another breath, decided in that moment that she couldn’t keep dancing around her feelings anymore. If she was going to live in Avalor permanently, she was going to have to say something or risk drowning in her own emotions on a daily basis.

It was time to end the dance.


	4. Confessions and Confirmation

She turned to face him with the intent to speak, only to find herself unsure of how to even start, breath catching in her throat when she finally met his gaze, caught the subtle adoration in it just before his eyes flicked downward to look her over.

“Um – ” Gabe started, unsure of what he was even looking for. He just knew that he had to look anywhere but her eyes, knowing that if he lingered too long he’d be trapped in her gaze. He had no clue how she drew people in with nothing more than a simple glance. He admitted to himself that he was those people. First, he tried to focus on the way her hair was tied up neatly on her head, not one strand out of place. The dark locks were perfectly woven together with a purple ribbon that only brought out her eyes even _more_. He tried to divert his eyes again, flicked them back down to her attire. The robe fit her perfectly. Though he tried not to linger for fear of making her uncomfortable, his eyes were drawn to the sash around her waist, which drew attention to the curves he never noticed showed so prominently in this outfit. He swallowed, wondered if there was anything he _could_ look at that didn’t make his heart beat erratically against his ribcage. 

“Gabe?” She asked quietly, drawing his attention and gaze back upwards.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts before turning his focus on her, letting his eyes linger on hers despite what kept telling himself and seeing a small, but unmistakable spark of fear. He couldn’t remember a time when she had ever shown any sort of vulnerability, even subtly. He wondered what she was thinking, was tempted to reach for one of her hands but held back, not wanting to startle her.

They stood still, letting the silence linger until he opened his mouth to speak at the same time she did. 

“I…” They both started, quickly looking away after realising their joint mistake, both blushing like crazy.

Gabe looked up first, bit back a laugh at the heavy blush tinting her cheeks. He’d never said it, figured she’d all but kill him if he did, but she was ridiculously cute when she got like that. It was such a stark contrast from her usual attitude. Carla was normally someone who put up a confident front, never letting others into what she was truly thinking, but those few times when she broke down and let her true feelings show were adorable. The way her eyes lit up when something really struck her, the spark of pure joy when she couldn’t hide her happiness, even the way she flicked them down towards the ground when she was trying to and failing at hiding something, just as she was doing now, fingers delicately toying with the jewel on her bracelet as she contemplated her next move. He smiled, took a subconscious step forward just as she finally turned back to him with the intent to start again. But, before she could even think to open her mouth, she was stopped by Gabe suddenly pulling his right hand out from behind his back.

“I – er -- forgot –I brought these. For you,” He admitted, held out a small bouquet of violet blooms, cheeks flushing all over again as he awaited her reaction.

Carla blinked in surprised, completely taken aback by the gesture. No one had ever given her flowers before, and now, to receive them from _him_? She swallowed hard, hesitantly reached out, gently took the flowers into her own hand and stared down at them, taking in the vibrant colour. She felt her heart catch, thought she might cry it was so overwhelming. “They’re…Beautiful,” She finally breathed.

“Just like your eyes,” He blurted out in a whisper, his own eyes widening once he realised that he’d said it aloud _and_ that she heard, her head suddenly shooting up as the tamborita clattered to the ground.

“W-- what?” She asked for clarification, mentally kicked herself for letting him catch her off guard like that. 

“Oh!” He said, hand returned to the back of his neck. “I – er ---I said, your eyes are beautiful,” He admitted, immediately following up with, “Everything about you is.”

“E -- Everything?” She murmured. He couldn’t _really_ mean that, could he? Sure, her _father_ had always told her that her eyes were pretty. They were just like Mama’s, after all. But, it was rare that other people complimented her like that once she got past age nine. And most of those people were _women_ , usually other mothers that they sometimes came across in their travels. Guys had never paid much attention to them. Or maybe she never noticed if they did, considering all she ever did was flirt with and manipulate them. Not that it mattered what they thought of her. The idea of romance had always been just a fantasy, something to be toyed with and played for her own gain until a few months ago. Even after all this time, she still questioned why this had happened. Why her? Why _him_? He was the Captain of the Guard. She was a malvaga. Not to mention, a former criminal who had tried to _take over_ his kingdom. And yet, somehow, here he was, gifting her flowers and telling her that her eyes were beautiful. And not just her eyes, but _everything_. What did that even mean?

“Yes. _Everything_ ,” He insisted. “Walk with me.” 

Though she was hesitant to do so, Carla was also curious as to his plan and carefully took the arm he offered, let him lead her down the garden pathway. As they walked, she found herself glancing upwards, studying his profile, and then quickly looking away when he turned to look at her. She bit her lip, wondered if he knew just how handsome he was. She knew the power she could hold over him, but did he know about his own? Did he know that just a simple glance in her direction made her heart beat just a little faster? Or about the warmth she felt when he held her close as they made their way across a dance floor? Or how –

“Carla?” Gabe finally spoke.

“Hm?” She looked back up at him.

“You – Well – I mean – ” He started and then stopped himself and took in a long breath. He had come too far to ruin this moment. If he didn’t do this now, he wasn’t sure if he’d take another chance. It had been hard enough to gather up the courage to get _this_ far. He decided in that moment to just stop thinking and start _talking_.

“Carla, you’re amazing,” He admitted and she stopped in her tracks, stared up at him with wide eyes.

“Wha – ”

He silenced her by putting a finger to her lips, instructed, “Let me finish.”

She nodded and he carefully removed his arm from hers, began to pace as he continued,

“You – Well, you lived in whole other realm. _Alone_. You figured out how to make it work. You became a princess. A _princess_. It’s hard to believe I used to chase you and your father across the kingdom. Or that you were trying to take it over. And now you’re here by my – I mean – _on_ our side fighting _with us_ ,” He started, hoping she didn’t catch his fumble. 

_‘He wants me by his side?’_ Carla thought, a small, soft smile playing at her lips as she looked down at and played with the flowers in her hand, looking back up when he went on. 

“Every project you’ve helped with, you put so much into. And when other people tried to knock you down, you refused to let them. You’re _so_ strong. And… _fierce_ and…I love that. You won’t let anyone tell you who you are and you shouldn’t because – well – you’re _amazing_. And beautiful. Inside and out,” He said, pausing both his words and steps as he moved towards her. He stopped, studied her expression as he reached up, looked for any sign of discomfort or resistance as he set a gentle hand on her cheek and made her look up at him. “I don’t think you know how beautiful you really are.”

She reached up, placed her hand over his, “Gabe, I – ” She started

He interrupted, “Your eyes were the first thing I noticed that night. And ever since then I’ve been…” He trailed off for a moment, wondered if he should continue. He knew exactly what he wanted to say. It was right there on the tip of his tongue. But he worried about sounding like a lovesick idiot. He supposed he _was_ one at this point, but that didn’t mean he had to _sound_ like one.

“Been…what?” Carla pressed, staring up at him in anticipation.

Encouraged by her words and the look in her eyes, he continued, deciding that it didn’t matter if he sounded like an idiot. She needed to hear this. “Thinking about them. About _you_. All the time. I’ve been distracted all morning,” He confessed, “I swore I heard your adorable laugh when I messed up all of my sword drills.”

 _‘But I **hate** my laugh,’ _Carla said to herself, resisting the urge to frown at the thought. She always found her laugh -- her real, _genuine_ laugh -- to be far too girly and cute. It distracted from the image she spent so much time trying to create. She wanted to be annoyed at him for confirming what she always thought, but he sounded so sincere that she just couldn’t be.

“I haven’t been able to focus properly since last night. Our dance. It just – you just—You’re an incredible dancer. It’s like you don’t even think about it. Like the music is _part_ of you. Your steps are perfect. And you’re just so…” He trailed off, paused for a moment to find the right word. “… _Happy_ when you’re dancing.”

“You can tell?” She asked.

“Of course I can. Because…I want you to be happy. You’re so pretty when you smile. And…”

Carla listened carefully for a few minutes as he continued on. If she had the time, she would probably stand and listen to him talk like this all day. Nobody had ever lavished compliments on her like this before nor had anyone ever been so _sincere_ when they had complimented her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant every word and it took everything in her not to cry. She’d waited so long for him to validate his feelings to her and reveled in every second of it. Unfortunately, in the back of her mind, she knew she couldn’t let him keep going.

“Gabe?” She finally said, frowned when he didn’t respond, only kept speaking. She sighed, said his name again, this time with more persistence in her voice.

He stopped, turned his attention to her.

“Not that this isn’t flattering, because it _is._ Immensely so. But – um – the point?” She asked and he blinked, took a second to process the question.

“Oh! Right,” He muttered, face flushing over as he suddenly remembered what his initial intent had been her. He couldn’t figure out how to say it. So, instead of being forward, he’d ended up just ended up babbling at her. Granted, she _did_ admit to being flattered by it, but he knew that wasn’t enough. He had to say it and knew that if he didn’t do it now, he never would. He swallowed as he took her hands in his.

Carla’s eyes flicked down to their hands. No one had ever held her hand like that. She liked the feel of his hands around hers and how _safe_ his touch made her feel. She glanced back up through her lashes, let out a breath when she caught the intensity of his gaze as he spoke.

“I – I have feelings for you, Carla,” Gabe finally confessed, added, “ _Romantic_ ones. And, I – Well, I was thinking -- If you want to, that is – that maybe we could have dinner together? Just the two of us.”

 _‘There. I said it. I finally said it,’_ He thought, resisting the urge to laugh as a wave of relief washed over him. He wouldn’t have to dance around his feelings any more, wondering if he would ever gather up enough courage to admit them to her.

 _‘Yes!’_ Carla wanted to scream. Throw her arms around him. _Something_. Instead, she stood still. She had been waiting for this moment for so long and now that it was here, she wasn’t sure what to say or do. She supposed if she thought about it, she could say something equally sweet, maybe even admit her own feelings, but the words refused to come. Still, she knew she had to give him an answer of some sort and decided to revert back to the only thing she knew. She looked up, a smirk playing at her lips as she teased, “Well, it’s about time.”

“I – _what_?” Gabe raised a curious eyebrow as she gently slid her hands out from his. It was far from the reaction he wanted, though he admitted to himself after some thinking that it wasn’t unexpected. Elena _did_ say that Carla was awful at admitting her feelings. She was also bad at hiding them, he realised, smiled to himself as she sauntered down the path. He knew from the spark he’d seen in her eyes and the unfading blush spread across her face that she’d not only heard, but took in every single word and that she was only turning way to _hide_ those things. Curious to see how long she thought she could hide, he let her continue,

“I’ve known for weeks. I was just – ”

“Wait,” He interrupted. “How’d you know?”

She stopped in her tracks. She couldn’t tell him the truth. What would he say if he knew that she had stolen an opportunity to read his thoughts because she needed to have her own feelings validated? But, she also knew that she couldn’t lie her way out of it either. Up until the past week, she’d spent most of her time in the Mirror World and couldn’t claim that she knew from spending time with him since she didn’t often get time to be alone with him, though she found herself wanting it more and more lately. Maybe she could say that one of their friends tipped her off. That Elena or Naomi told her about it. But then she’d be dragging _them_ into her lie.

She bit her lip, fingers instinctively reaching for her bracelet as she contemplated her choices and he took a step towards her.

“Carla?” Gabe pressed gently, hoping she wouldn’t stomp off if he pushed a little. It normally wasn’t something he did. He was usually content to wait until someone _wanted_ to open up to him, but this time was different. He needed to know what she was thinking, but at the same time, wanted her to be comfortable telling him. He took in a breath, set a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“You don’t have to hide your feelings from me. You know that, right?”

 _‘And I don’t want to, either,’_ Carla said to herself. She wanted so much to say it, but knew that if she even tried, she’d either end up fumbling over her words or start crying. He was right. She shouldn’t have to hide, not from him, especially not when he had just poured his own heart out to her. It was in that moment that she decided that she _had_ to tell the truth. If she wanted any sort of relationship with him, she couldn’t start it with a lie.

With that thought in mind, she took in a shaky breath, turned to face him. At first, she tried to look up and into his eyes, but found that she just couldn’t and quickly tore her own gaze away from his, instead focused on the flowers still in her hands, fingers delicately toying with the petals of one as she confessed,   
“I – well – I may have – read your thoughts that time you came to visit me in the Mirror World.”

At first, he just stared, took a moment to process the words and make sure he heard correctly.

 _‘But how did she …? Wait – ’_ He started, stopped himself when he looked down, snuck a glance at the bracelet around the wrist still holding onto the bouquet. “You – I _forgot_ you could do that.”

She didn’t respond, kept her focus on the flowers as she waited for his reaction. She wondered if he’d be angry at her for invading his thoughts. After all, if someone pulled that trick on her, she’d be angry with them.

He supposed he should be mad at her, but found that he just couldn’t be. Instead, he was intrigued as to _why_ she’d even thought to do such a thing. He remembered that visit and how on edge she seemed through the whole thing. Looking back, he realised that she was hiding her growing feelings just like he had been. Maybe using her power on him had been a way for her to gauge his feelings? Look for some sort of hint that her crush wasn’t one-sided? He smiled, figured he’d only know the answer if he asked.

“Carla, look at me,” He requested and she obeyed, first glancing up at him through her lashes and then turning her head up to look him in the eyes.

He carefully reached over, took her hands in his again. “I’m not mad at you. I promise,” He reassured after catching her unsure look. It was like she was a young child waiting to be scolded by her papa. “I just have to know, _why_ were you prying into my thoughts?”

“Because – ” She started to explain and quickly stopped herself, bit her lip again as her gaze slowly shifted back downwards. How could she admit _out loud_ that she did it to confirm his feelings? That, at the time, she had barely admitted she liked him and had been desperate to know if he felt the same way? That she just _had_ to know or she would go mad? That…She couldn’t stand the thought of spending her time and energy chasing after him only to have her heart broken before anything started?

Carla briefly closed her eyes as she felt those emotions suddenly rushing back to her. She’d had a hard enough time coming to terms with the strange, new feelings she’d been having. If she hadn’t take the chance that day and left it to fate, she was sure it would have consumed her. After all, if he didn’t feel the same – No. That didn’t matter. Not since that day. Since confirming his feelings, she’d shifted her focus from trying to unravel them to figuring out how to express her own and failing miserably at doing so. Every time she thought about saying something sincere, she froze up and turned to playing the games she’d spent years perfecting. But now was no time for such games.

Gabe gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, a silent way of telling her that he was still there and waiting to hear what she had to say when she was ready. He smiled softly when she looked back up, only to immediately frown when he caught sight of the faint tears welling in her eyes. Had he hurt her somehow? Pressed the situation too far? Said too much? Too little? He thought to ask, but quickly ruled against it. This was unfamiliar territory and the last thing he wanted was to make the issue worse. Instead, he contemplated his options for a moment, decided that what she needed wasn’t more questions as he brought his hand up and gently brushed away the tear that had finally fallen when she blinked.

“Stop it. Your eyes are too pretty for that,” He teased in an attempt to bring up the mood, his smile returning when _she_ smiled and gave a soft laugh at his comment before bringing her arm up and carefully brushing away the remaining tears with her sleeve.

Though she was still overwhelmed, Carla couldn’t help but smile at him and his effort to lift her spirits despite his own worries. She had seen how his face fell when she finally met his eyes again, saw the concern in them. She had been trying so hard _not_ to cry, but having to remember that day and all the emotions that came with it was just too much. And yet, he put aside his own concern and curiosity in favour of making her feel better. It was just like him to do so.

She took a minute to breathe and compose herself. He had already done the hard part in not only openly admitting his own feelings, but in being able to put them aside – if only for a moment – to focus on _her_ wellbeing. He was patient with her, even though she was sure every part of him was reeling in anticipation of the answer she owed him.

She sighed to herself, finally confessed after a brief silence, “The reason I was… _prying_ was because – well – I couldn’t stand not knowing.”

“Not knowing what?” Gabe asked for clarification.

The question startled her. She felt her face go hot again as she admitted in a soft tone,

“How you felt about me. I just – Well – I – If I didn’t and then found out that you _didn’t_ feel the same, I don’t think I could handle it.”

 _‘She didn’t want to get hurt,’_ Gabe realised and immediately understood. His own fears of rejection were what kept him from saying anything until Elena confirmed Carla’s feelings to him. He hadn’t wanted to risk having his own heart broken before anything could begin. He smiled softly at the thought of their mutual fear, at the idea that she had been just as worried as him. It calmed him, for some reason, knowing he hadn’t been alone in his internal struggle. However, he couldn’t help but think back to the fact that it was _Elena_ who had told him that Carla liked him. He appreciated it, but also couldn’t help but wish that the words had come from _Carla_ instead, especially after he’d had to tell her about his feelings himself. It was only fair.

“Can I ask one more question?” He replied.

“Um…Sure?” Carla said, her answer coming out as question as she studied his expression, tried to figure out what he was thinking. She knew that if she really wanted to, she could reach for his hands again and use her power to actually _see_ what he was thinking, but immediately decided against doing so. It wasn’t the time for that. And aside from that one time, she knew better than to abuse it, especially when people’s feelings were involved.

“How _do_ you feel about me?”

 _‘How do I… **what**?’ _Carla thought with a start, the bouquet hitting the ground as her blush deepened. She tore her gaze away from his, fingers returning to toy with her jewel as she ran over the question in her head again. It wasn’t a hard question. She knew _exactly_ how she felt. The problem was admitting it aloud. There was a reason she waited so long for _Gabe_ to make the first move. Sure, she had thought about telling him. Even, as dumb as she felt doing it, practiced doing so in the mirror. But, every time she actually _saw_ him, she found that she just couldn’t, not with her heart beating against her chest every time he so much as glanced in her direction, or the way her words caught in her throat whenever she tried to offer more than a flirty remark or a response to the conversation he started. And now he was asking her to actually _voice_ her feelings.

She bit her lip again. She _had_ thought about saying something just minutes earlier, but the confidence she felt in that moment was gone. At least, she thought it was until he leaned down to pick up the flowers, held them out to her with a reassuring smile that calmed her. She reached out to take the bouquet back, but instead of simply taking it, she settled her hands on top of his, looked back up to meet his eyes. She swallowed as she settled on her next move, hoped he wouldn’t pull away as she removed her hands from his, slid them under his chin and leaned up, placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Heat flooded Gabe’s face as she pulled away, his cheek burning where her lips had pressed to his skin. He reached up, gently touched the spot.

Carla smiled shyly at him, held back a giggle at his stunned expression, finding it uncharacteristically cute. He was always putting up such a cool, tough image. It was interesting to see how a simple kiss could throw him off. After another second of silence, she took in a small breath, finally confessed as she fidgeted with her bracelet, “I -- Have feelings for you, Gabe.”

He immediately snapped back to attention when he processed the fact that she said it. She actually _said_ it. He felt a sudden urge to take her in his arms and kiss her, but held back. As much as we wanted to, he _knew_ that would be too much for her. Instead, he stepped forward, carefully, hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. He expected her to resist somehow. To push him away or protest. What he didn’t expect was for her to reciprocate and slide her own arms around him as she settled into his embrace and nestled her head against his chest. Even though they had danced together a few times before, he’d never been _this_ close to her. He had noticed that Carla wasn’t the touchy type, and that, even though she had mostly adjusted to the physical affection given by Elena in particular, she still seemed uncomfortable and unsure of it at times. He smiled at both the thought and her contentment in the moment as her hold on him tightened.

Carla let out a soft sigh, took a small step forward. She felt like she couldn’t get close enough even as she snuggled into him. She had been waiting for this moment almost as long as she’d been waiting for him to confess his feelings. Since the day he caught her in the ballroom, she’d had many passing thoughts about being in his arms again for longer than the duration of a dance. And now that the opportunity had presented itself, she didn’t want to let go.

But she did.

She stepped back with a reluctant sigh, but couldn’t make herself actually move _out_ of his arms. So, she stayed, looked up and smiled shyly at him. There was a part of her that couldn’t believe any of it was real. Had she actually said those words _out loud_? Was she really, truly standing there with his hands settled warmly on her lower back? And was he actually looking at her – _her_ – with adoration in his eyes? It had always been subtle before, but now…

“So…” Gabe started, interrupting her train of thought. Though he would have been content to stand in that spot with her all day, he knew he had other matters to tend to and only a small amount of time left on his lunch break. But, he also knew he couldn’t walk away without getting an answer to his earlier question. “…About dinner?”

Carla blinked, took a moment to process the question. “Oh! Right,” She remembered, “I -- would love to have dinner with you.” 

He only smiled softly in response as found himself studying her face again, eyes lingering on hers and the pure happiness he saw in them. Happiness that _he_ was responsible for. The thought sparked something in him. He wondered if maybe she would – no, it was too soon for that – he’d only just gotten a confession out of her. If he tried to push things, she was likely to push back. And not in a good way. Yet, he couldn’t shake the thought even as she tiled her head curiously, unsure of what to make of the lingering silence. Ugh. Why was she so cute? It only made him want to do it _more_.

“Gabe, are – ” She went to speak and he interrupted as he finally moved his hands from behind her back, took one to the back of his neck.

“Um – I know that this, well –” He started, feeling his face flush over again as he forced the words out. Part of him knew he shouldn’t bother, but the other knew that if he didn’t, he’d spend the rest of the day wondering about it, which was the _last_ thing he needed after that morning. And, he wouldn’t get an answer unless he actually asked. “This is a bit – forward and probably a lot to ask, but – I – Well,” He took one of her hands in his. “Can I kiss you?” 

“K – Kiss?!” She muttered and took an unconscious step back, eyes widening as she ran over the question again and again in her head. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it. She had. In fact, she’d even had a few dreams about it. The only things was – 

“But I’ve never – ” She started and then abruptly stopped, gasped and then looked away when she realised what she almost said. She couldn’t tell him. She couldn’t tell _anyone_. She turned so her back was to him. “What I mean is…Maybe we should wait? What is it they say about kissing before the first date? Or was it on? I don’t remember,” She rambled, fingers carefully playing with the band of her bracelet. Once again, she found herself thankful that her hair was tied up.

Gabe raised a curious eyebrow. This was far from the reaction he had expected. Of course, he didn’t know what he expected. He just knew that this was highly unlike Carla. He thought about that unfinished sentence again, felt a smile playing at his lips when he realised _exactly_ what she was going to say. “You’ve never been kissed before, have you?” He asked carefully, biting back a laugh when she startled. He didn’t want to be mean, but she was just so cute he couldn’t help it. 

“Of _course_ I’ve been kissed before!” Carla snapped defensively, crossed her arms. “What kind of stupid question is that? I’m _eighteen_.”

“It’s _okay_ if you haven’t,” He reassured as he carefully stepped over, set a hand on her shoulder.

She looked first at his hand and then over her shoulder at him before giving a soft sigh and turning back around. She glanced up at him shyly. “It is?”

Gabe nodded, slipped a careful hand under her chin and titled her head so she was looking up at him, “It just means you just haven’t met the right person yet.”

She sighed again, admitted as he pulled his hand away, “ _Fine_. I’ve never been kissed before. Happy?”

“Yes. Because you told me the truth,” He said and held out the flowers again.

 _‘Oh! Right!’_ She said to herself as she carefully took the bouquet back with a small smile. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have – ”

“It’s okay, _really_ ,” Carla interrupted. “It’s just…I don’t think I’m ready to – ”

“You don’t have to explain,” Gabe assured her. He understood. Connecting with other people didn’t come easy to Carla and he doubted that she’d ever let anyone get close enough to kiss her. She probably wanted her first kiss to be special and _meaningful_. At least, a little more special then a sudden decision made after an already emotional confession. He smiled at the thought before changing the subject.

“About dinner…Are you free tonight? I got put on the morning rotation, so I’m off this evening.”

“I…think so?” She replied, the answer coming out as a question as she took a moment to run over her schedule in her head, finally nodding when she realised that she had nowhere specific to be after her final lesson of the day. “Yes. This evening is fine.”

“Great!” He said and then immediately cleared his throat upon realising that he sounded a little _too_ eager. “I mean… Sounds good. I have to get back before the guys start asking questions. But, I’ll figure out a plan and let you know later.”

“Alright,” Carla agreed, “I guess I’ll see you tonight, then?”

Gabe gave a small nod in response and turned away with the intent to head back to the barracks, but quickly stopped and turned back around when an idea came to mind. “One more thing.” 

“Hm?” Carla looked up, watched as he stepped towards her and raised a curious eyebrow when he stopped in front of her before leaning down and returning the kiss on the cheek she had given him earlier.

“See you tonight,” He promised when he pulled away, holding back an amused laugh at the way her face immediately flushed over. 

“Uh-huh…” She muttered when he turned away again, unable to think of anything coherent to say as she reached up and delicately touched the spot, reality slowly setting in as she watched him leave. _‘Wait!’_ She realised once she was gone. _‘I’m going on a date! A **real** date! With Gabe. What am I going to wear? And my hair! Should I do something with it? I don’t even know where we’re going! Then again, neither does he. What if I have to dress up? Oh, stop it, Carla!’ _She sighed to herself, _‘Don’t worry about it. Not now. You still have to finish your magic -- Oh, crap. The tamborita!’_ She suddenly remembered and ran off, hoping that someone hadn’t found it and then internally groaning when she realised that she’d lost track of time and was probably going to be late to her next lesson. First lesson with him and she was going to be late. Esteban would love that.


	5. Steps Forward

_‘I know I probably deserve this, but still!’_ Carla thought with a scowl as she made her way back to her room following her first lesson with Esteban, which had been a mix of kingdom geography and royal greetings. She shifted the stack of books in her arms when she came to her door, silently cursing their weight as she reached for the handle.

“There you are!” Elena said, standing from her spot on the bed and moving to greet her friend, who jumped slightly at the surprise. “Oh, sorry!” She apologised when the books hit the ground.

Carla sighed, asked as she knelt down to pick up the books, “What are you doing here?”

“Well, now that you’re here, I’m going to help you get ready for your date.”

The smaller girl raised an eyebrow as she stood, “How did you know about that?”

“Gabe told me,” Elena admitted, waiting until Carla set the books on her desk before stepping over to join her with a purple dressing gown in hand.

Carla looked at her curiously, opened her mouth to speak and barely had a chance to even think of a _word_ before the other girl was throwing her arms around her.

“I’m so happy for you two!” The crown princess exclaimed, giving Carla a wide smile when she pulled away before ordering, “Now hurry up and get in the bath before it gets cold.”

“But, I already took a bath this morning, remember?” Carla protested even as she took the robe her friend handed over.

“I know. But you’re going on a date. Your _first_ date. You – ”

“It’s not my first date. I’ve gone out with other guys before.”

“But did you _like_ any of them?”

“No. Not really,” Carla admitted with a sigh. “I only did it – ”

“Because they could get you something you wanted?” Elena guessed and Carla nodded. “Well, this is _different_. You’re going out with someone you _really_ like. And, bonus! He likes you back. Now, _hurry_!” She insisted.

“Okay, okay!” The smaller girl said, holding up her hands in surrender, “Just give me a minute,” She said as she moved to sit on the bed and remove her shoes while Elena crossed the room and grabbed two bottles off of her tea table.

“Oh! One more thing. I couldn’t decide which bubble bath to use. Citrus Shimmer or Sparkling Champagne?”

Carla smiled, said as she took the pink bottle, “Sparkling Champagne, of course.”

Elena returned the smile, went to pick up the discarded shoes as the other girl headed into the bathroom, calling after her, “I’ll have your outfit ready when you get out!”

 _‘Of course you will,’_ Carla thought, shaking her head as she shut the bathroom door. Once inside, she set the robe aside and went to sit on the edge of the tub, thinking as she first dumped and then swirled in the red liquid about how grateful she was that Elena was so eager to help. She’d been wanting to talk to her since earlier in the afternoon and spent half her etiquette lesson thinking of how she’d phrase the question that lingered in her mind. She wondered as she untied her hair if she should even bother. It _was_ a rather silly sounding question in her mind. But, part of her knew that, even if she thought it was stupid, Elena wouldn’t. She had always been supportive and encouraging. Carla smiled at the thought as she set down her clothing and then carefully stepped into the scented water, deciding as she settled down that, though she had been hesitant, taking a bath wasn’t such a bad idea. It was calm and familiar and eased at least some of her nerves. She still hadn’t heard from Gabe and was starting to get curious about what he was going to come up with. She had spent the other half of her lessons thinking about where he would take her and had come up with several scenarios, all of which ended with a lingering kiss.

Heat flooded her face at the thought. She had never thought about kissing anyone before him. Wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to find out if she even _wanted_ to be kissed. And now that she had _and_ knew that he wanted to kiss her back…

She giggled at the thought as she picked up and then blew a handful of bubbles around. Even just a few hours ago, she would have been mad at herself for letting this happen. For letting someone take a part of her heart the way he had. But, now that both their feelings were finally out, she found that she just couldn’t be. However, while part of her was excited at the prospect of spending more time with him, the other was _terrified_ of having to open up to him even more than she already had. What if, after learning about her past, he decided that he couldn’t – or didn’t want to – be with her? He knew _some_ of the details from the time he spent chasing after her alongside their friends, and even a small bit of what she’d told him during his Mirror World visit, but he still didn’t know the full story. He didn’t know about how she grew up on the road with just her father for company. Or how he started teaching her his skills from an early age. Or about the various schemes they had been a part of, the number of jewels swiped and sold, the path that eventually led them to Shuriki. Granted, a lot had happened in the past two years. He even said so in his confession. But nothing would change the fact that she was born and raised a criminal.

 _‘Stop it, Carla!’_ She chastised herself with a frustrated groan as she smacked some of the water out of the tub. _‘That doesn’t matter! You’re not like that anymore. And he **knows** that.’ _She sighed and leaned against the back of the tub, tried to refocus her attention on the actual events to come as she reached for one of the shampoo vials, but her thoughts only looped back around to the same place. She knew that _he_ knew she had changed for the better and witnessed many of those changes himself. Yet, she couldn’t shake the lingering fear that persisted in the back of her mind.

“I know I’ve said this before, but you have _really_ nice hair,” Elena complimented a little while later as she gently ran a brush over Carla’s mostly dried hair. “The question is what to do with it?”

“Why don’t I just tie it up the way I normally do? You _did_ say it was casual,” Carla suggested, using the only detail she had managed to get out of Elena. When she tried to press for more information, the crown princesses only brushed her off. She wouldn’t even tell her which dress she had picked out.

“Yes, but…” Elena trailed off as she contemplated her choices. She didn’t want to do anything too elaborate, but also didn’t want to revert to using Carla’s default hair style. It was practical, yes, but didn’t seem _good enough_ for a first date. “Why don’t we leave it down?” She suggested. “I don’t know, I –”

“But it looks really pretty when it frames your face,” The princess encouraged, giving her friend’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze. 

Carla thought for a moment, fingers idly playing with one of the pieces as she considered her words. “I still think I’d rather put it up.”

Elena first frowned and then gave a soft smile when an idea came to mind, “Why don’t we compromise? Mirror World style.”

“That could work,” Carla agreed, returning the smile in the mirror as a comfortable silence fell between them while Elena worked on brushing and separating the necessary parts of her hair. She glanced from her reflection down to her hands, which were nervously twisted in the fabric of her dressing gown. She realised that now would probably be the best time to ask her question, but wasn’t sure exactly _how_ to go about it. She bit her lip as she considered her options, looked back up when Elena said her name. 

“Is something wrong?” The princess asked after catching both the way her friend looked down at her lap and the position of her hands, which Carla had a habit of twisting into her skirt when she was angry and trying to hold her emotions back. This time was different, though. She wasn’t angry at all. In fact, she seemed unsure of herself. As if she wanted to say or reveal something but didn’t know how. Elena smiled at the thought as she moved to open one of the vanity drawers and pulled a decorated purple box from it. 

“Well…” Carla muttered, gripped the satin harder, wondered why she couldn’t make herself _ask_ the question. She’d already resolved to do so before her bath. What was the problem now? She gave a small sigh, looked up and watched in the mirror while Elena pawed through the ribbons in the box before pulling out a royal blue one.

“You know you can tell me anything,” Elena said with a reassuring smile as she began carefully weaving the ribbon into a section of hair she had separated out. 

Carla returned the smile, met the princess’ eyes in the mirror. They were curious, but also sincere. She wanted to know what, if anything, was wrong out of her own curiosity, but also wanted to help. And she could. In fact, she was the _only one_ who could. Carla didn’t have anyone else to ask. Nor did she feel comfortable posing the question to anyone else. She took in a breath. 

“Okay,” She started. “It’s kind of embarrassing, but…Well – Um – What does it feel like to be kissed?”

Elena paused, took a moment to process the question as she tied off the braid. What _was_ it like to be kissed? She pondered. She knew she _liked_ being kissed, but had never thought of how to put the feeling into words. She felt her cheeks growing warm as she was brought back to the lunch date she and Mateo had earlier that day which had ended with them sharing more than their fair share of kisses alongside the strawberries and chocolate she had brought for dessert. She had always loved kissing him, ever since that first time.

 _‘Wait a minute. If she’s asking…Does that mean? Has she never…?’_ Elena thought as she set down the hairbrush, asking when she reached for a set of pins, “Carla, Have you never been kissed before?”

Carla kept her eyes down, slowly shook her head. “It’s pathetic, isn’t it?”

The crown princess smiled as she secured the braid, thought carefully about her words as she picked up the brush again. “Not at all. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I didn’t get my first kiss until last year.”

“You…didn’t?”

“No. I hadn’t really thought about kissing anybody until Mateo. And you know what? I’m glad that I waited. That first kiss was – well…” Elena paused, thought back to that moment on her balcony. He had walked her back to her room to say goodnight, but neither wanted the date to be over, so she invited him to sit with her on the balcony. But, instead of sitting, they ended up dancing, and, when she came back into his arms after that first twirl and looked up into those bright eyes filled with nothing but pure adoration, the world just…stopped. It was like they were the only two in it. His eyes asked and she answered with her own. They leaned in together and the moment their lips touched, a spark shot through her.

“It was like _magic_ ,” She said with a dreamy sigh, the fantasy carrying over into her words. “When he looked at me, something just _clicked_. It felt like it – _we_ – were meant to be. The world just stopped. Nothing mattered except the two of us. It was like…a breath of fresh air. Like I had finally found something I didn’t even know I was missing.”

“Wow…” Carla murmured, fingers fidgeting with her bracelet as she tried to imagine herself in that scenario. She felt her face warming at the thought, bit her lip to hold back a giggle.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be kissed someone you love. It’s warm and wonderful and it feels like you could just _melt_ into him,” Elena finished. “Listen to me. I sound like a lovesick teenager.”

“Because you _are_ a lovesick teenager,” The smaller girl teased.

“So are you,” The older girl teased back.

“Just not lovesick enough to let him kiss me, I guess…” Carla muttered to herself, fingers still toying with the band around her wrist.

Elena raised a curious eyebrow. “Did something happen?”

“Kind of. After he confessed his feelings, Gabe asked if he could kiss me and, well…It’s not that I didn’t want to. I _did_. I still do. I just – I don’t know.”

The crown princess gave her warm smile as she stepped over to the side, knelt down so she was level with her friend. “Carla, look at me,” She requested, slipping a finger underneath her chin when she obeyed. “It’s _okay_. It probably just wasn’t the right time.”

“How do you know that? How do _I_ know that?” 

“Because, when the moment feels right, you’ll just _know_ it.”

“If you say so, Elena.”

Elena frowned at both Carla’s tone and the half-hearted smile she gave before flicking her eyes back downward. She not only sounded unconvinced, but seemed just as much, if not more unsure than she had been _before_ she asked the question. “You’re still fidgeting with your bracelet,” She pointed out.  
“Oh? Am I?” Carla muttered absentmindedly, immediately separating and then setting her hands in her lap, unaware of the way Elena’s eyes lingered on her fingers as they resumed twisting into the fabric of her robe.

Elena reached over, asked in a soft tone, “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

The smaller girl gave a fleeting glance first to the hand resting warmly on top of hers, and then up to her best friend’s face. She considered keeping her thoughts to herself, but knew that it wouldn’t accomplish anything except keeping her nerves on edge, which is the last thing she needed right before her date. She sighed, admitted, “What if I’m _bad_ at it? Kissing, I mean.

“Carla I don’t – ”

Carla cut her off. “Or, what if we kiss and nothing happens? What if he doesn’t feel anything? Or _worse_ …” She trailed off as she stood and stalked over to the window, set a careful hand on the glass. “What if we never get to the kiss because…” She paused again, slid her finger down the glass before crossing her arms and taking in a breath in an attempt to force her rising emotions back down.

“Because?” Elena pressed as she stepped over, placed a gentle hand on the smaller girl’s back.

“He _rejects_ me? What if I tell him the truth about my past and he decides that he doesn’t want to be with me? Then all of this will be for _nothing_!”

Confused, Elena said, “But Gabe already knows who you used to be and – ” 

“He doesn’t know the whole story,” Carla retorted as she began to pace. “He doesn’t know about how I grew up on the road and learned from an early age how to lie and con my way out of any situation. I started practicing my father’s slight-of-the-hand tricks as soon as I was old enough to understand. I’ve broken so many hearts. Stolen so many jewels and trinkets and – ” She stopped when Elena stepped in front of her path and reached for her hand. 

“Carla, stop,” The older girl ordered, said as she led her over to and then sat on the bed, “Sit.”

Carla did as she was told, let Elena take her hands when she sat. A brief silence settled between them as the princess considered her words carefully.

“Listen to me,” She started as she reached up and gently brushed a piece of hair from her friend’s face. “You are _not_ your past. Do you remember what I told you after that first Spring Fling? You can’t change what you did before, but you can change what you do next. And you _did_. You took those words to heart and turned everything around. Well, mostly everything. Your temper is still a force to be reckoned with,” She gave a light laugh at the last sentence and then immediately retreated when she caught the look Carla gave in response. “Sorry… _Anyway_ , what I’m trying to say is that you’re so much more than what you were raised to be. And Gabe knows that. He might not know the _whole_ story, but he knows enough to understand that the person you were then and the one you are now are completely different.”

 _‘He did say I was strong,’_ Carla reminded herself as Elena continued.

“When you’re ready to open up, he’ll listen. And if I know Gabe, he’ll appreciate that you told the truth, even if it’s not easy. He’s _crazy_ about you. You can tell just by the way he looks at you. I don’t think there’s anything you can say that will change that.” 

Carla looked up, returned the smile her best friend gave. “Thanks, Elena.” 

“Anytime. Now, come on. Let’s get you dressed,” Elena encouraged, gently pulling Carla up with her when she stood and then making her way over to and pulling the dress Gabe had gifted her the day before from the wardrobe.

“I should have known you’d pick this one,” The smaller girl said as she took the outfit, moved behind the curtain to change.

“Of course! What better way to surprise him then to wear his gift on the first date?” Elena commented while she headed back across the room to look through the jewellery box. She considered each piece carefully and made a decision just as Carla pulled the curtain back and made her way over to her dressing mirror. 

“You look _perfect_. Well, almost.”

Carla raised an eyebrow. “Almost?”

Elena gave a light laugh, moved behind Carla. “Here,” She said as she stepped up and carefully placed and secured Naomi’s flower comb in her hair. When she came back around she took a moment to look the younger girl over, a wide smile forming as she decided, “There. Now you’re perfect.”

“You’re _sure_ I look alright?” Carla asked as she turned first to the left and then the right, studying every inch of her outfit in the mirror.

“You look _more_ than alright. You look – ”

She was interrupted by first a knock and then the door carefully opening.

“Elena, it’s almost time for…” Luisa started as she entered the room, the thought and her words trailing off when she looked up at Carla. “ _Mi Querida,_ you look beautiful,” She complimented.

“Thank you, Abuela. Do you think Gabe will like it?” Carla asked, fingers playing with a piece of her hair as she spoke.

“He’d be a fool if he didn’t.”

Carla giggled at her comment, went to pick up and slip on her shoes, noting how Elena had already removed the flower pins from the straps.

“There’s just one more thing,” The princess said as she pulled a folded piece of paper from its hiding spot under the bed pillows, “This is from Gabe.”

 _‘Finally!’_ Carla thought as she took the note. But, before she got a chance to even glance at it, Elena grabbed her arm and ushered her out the door.

* * *

 _‘Okay. I think that’s everything. I **hope** that’s everything,’ _Gabe thought to himself as he looked over the setup for what felt like the hundredth time. He’d checked and double-checked the food and drinks to make sure he hadn’t forgotten even the smallest thing, even placed and then re-positioned the dishes several times before an annoyed Naomi sent him off to change and resumed setting up on her own. When he returned, he found a note ordering him not to touch anything that he ignored as he reached over to move one of the candles.

“ _Hey_! What did I tell you about touching?” Naomi scolded as she stepped up with a bouquet of violet and white flowers in hand.

“I was just – ” He tried and she interrupted.

“Sure you were,” She said, moved to slip the flowers into the empty vase in the middle of the blanket. “It looks _fine,_ Gabe,” She reassured, setting a careful hand on his shoulder.

“But ‘fine’ isn’t good enough. It needs to be – I don’t know. Just something more than ‘fine!’”

“Okay, maybe ‘fine’ wasn’t the right word,” Naomi admitted as she adjusted first the flowers and then the candle he had been messing with. 

“I’m sorry,” Gabe sighed, “It’s just – I _need_ this to go well. It took long enough for me to tell her how I feel. If I mess this up – ”

Naomi cut him off. “Stop. You are _not_ going to mess it up.”

“But – ”

“No. You are going to settle down and have a nice time tonight. She’s already crazy about you, remember? I don’t think you could mess it up even if you tried,” She reassured, taking one last look at the setting as she stood and then nodding at her and Gabe’s handiwork before turning to leave, adding as she did so, “Good luck, Lover Boy.”

 _‘I’m going to need it,’_ Gabe thought as the reality of the situation set in. He was finally going on a date – a _real_ date – with Carla. He didn’t count the time in the Mirror World. Not only had he been pushed into that visit, but, after going out for ice cream, they spent the rest of their time in her apartment talking in between breaks in her schoolwork. This was completely different territory. There weren’t papers for her to write or prom decorations to finish putting glitter on tonight. Tonight was going to be about just the two of them. Not work. Not lessons. Not other people. Just him and Carla and a quiet, romantic dinner in the garden. He had considered taking her out to one of the cafés in town, but that just seemed so _typical._ He wanted to do something with more thought. Unfortunately, nothing he came up with seemed good enough and he was forced to ask for help that Elena and Naomi were happy to give. He made a mental note to thank them both properly later as he scanned the area again and took in every small detail, making sure there wasn’t anything out of place.

“I hope she likes this,” He muttered. He prayed that she would appreciate the sentiment and not be disappointed in not being taken out. He didn’t know how he’d react if she said she _didn’t_ like it or, worse, that she expected _more_. He’d overheard more than one conversation between other members of the guard about failed dates and women who expected too much. What if Carla was one of them? He didn’t want to think she was the superficial sort, but what if she honestly expected to be taken to some upscale restaurant? Or even a cute little café? What if she thought that all of this just wasn’t good enough? Then all of the work he put into it would be – He stopped, thoughts halting when the sound of footsteps broke through them.

 _‘Okay. You can do this, Gabe,’_ He reassured himself, took in a steadying breath before turning around, heart taking off at a gallop when he laid eyes upon the girl who’d been on his mind all day and saw that she was wearing the outfit that _he_ gifted her. Did that mean she actually _liked_ the dress? Or was she wearing it to appease him? Did it matter? Regardless, he was touched at the gesture. The first thing he noticed was how her skirt fluttered along with her as she walked, heels softly clicking against the walkway with each step. From there, his eyes moved upward, first to the sash that hugged her waist perfectly and was tied with that adorable bow on the side and then further to the fitted bodice that hung off her shoulders at exactly the right place. He breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, grateful that the garment appeared to fit well. The woman at the dress shop had been more than helpful, but he still worried it wouldn’t look right on her.

 _‘Well, at least you didn’t mess **that** up,’ _He thought just as she stopped in front of him. She seemed unsure of herself as she glanced up, gave him a shy smile as she delicately toyed with a piece of her hair. He returned the smile, said as he looked over her ensemble one more time, “Carla, you look – I mean, you are – ” He shook his head, tried again, “No. What I really mean is…The _dress_ \-- You _in_ the dress is…” He almost wished Naomi would come back and smack him. He had _dumped_ compliments on her earlier that afternoon, mentioned everything from her eyes to her dancing, but now, he only drew blanks.

Carla tilted her head slightly, fingers still playing with her hair as she regarded him curiously, wondered what, after all the things he said that afternoon, he would think of.

Gabe held back a sigh, racked his brain for a word, any word. Eyes moving downward first to glance at the hand that was idly toying with her hair and then to her eyes, which were a mix of amusement and curiosity, lips curving back into a smile at the sight. She was just so…“ _Cute_ ,” He finally spat out, thoughts having carried over into his words. “You look cute.”

Her face and hand fell. “ _Cute_?” She repeated, disappointment heavy in her voice. She wasn’t cute. At least, she wasn’t trying to be. Abuela had said she looked _beautiful_. She spent so much time getting ready, carefully picking out her makeup and applying it expertly, then letting Elena fix her hair and make it _just right_ before slipping on her dress. She looked down at herself, frowned when she realised that the dress was indeed cute with its floaty skirt and side bow.

Again, he wished someone would smack him. The date had barely started and he had already screwed up. Why? Why did he have to come up with that word? And why did she seem so… _disappointed_? She _was_ cute. It was a good thing. At least, he thought it was.

“Is cute _not_ good?” He finally asked.

 _‘No. It’s not,’_ Carla thought, but didn’t dare say it aloud. She didn’t want to make him feel worse than she was sure he already did, but she also just did not like being called “cute.” Cute is what someone would call a small child. Or a kitten. Not a strong, independent, capable _woman_. Even if that woman _was_ on the small side. Her father had always said she was ‘just petite’, as if it was supposed to make her feel better about not only being mistaken for younger than she was at times, but being called cute as a result. But, as much as she hated it, she knew she couldn’t say so. The look on his face and the sincerity in his voice enough was to tell her that he honestly didn’t understand her disappointment. Yes, he said she was cute, but he had _also_ said she was amazing and beautiful and a host of other things that afternoon that more than made up for it. She bit her lip, thought about how to respond as she resumed fiddling with her hair.

“Well…Maybe if it’s _you_ saying it, I could get used to it,” She said, decided that…maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have _him_ thinking she was cute. She looked up at him through her lashes, gave him a soft smile.

Though he knew she was trying to reassure him and that not knowing she didn’t find “cute” to be a compliment wasn’t his fault, he still felt bad for upsetting her. She had clearly put a lot of effort into her appearance and he wanted her to know that it was appreciated. Even her _makeup_ was properly coordinated with glittering, smoky blue eye shadow that both matched the ensemble and looked great against her eyes, which still held a twinge of disappointment despite the smile on her face. She was trying not to show her true feelings and it hurt a little. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to hide, especially when _he_ was the one who had messed up.

He held back a sigh, hand awkwardly running along the back of his neck as he finally said, “I’m sorry. Let me try again. Um – ” He paused, gave her another quick once-over as he considered his choices. He’d already said she was beautiful several times that afternoon.

Carla bit her lip to stifle a giggle. He had said that _she_ was the cute one, but watching him fumble over his words was adorable. He was trying so hard for her.

“How about…” He muttered as he thought to himself. “ _Nice_? Y – You look very nice. Better?”

She smiled, genuinely this time, let out that soft giggle. “A little,” She said as she approached him. Sliding a finger under his chin, she teased, “And you know…You clean up nicely yourself, _Captain_.” She took a moment to run her eyes over him. She’d only seen him out of uniform a handful of times and was finding that she _liked_ it. His fitted shirt showed him off well, the dark blue around his collar and adorning the sleeves adding just the right touch of colour alongside the white of the shirt and simple, black pants.

Gabe swallowed when he caught the scent of her perfume. It was…warm and flowery, but not in the way one would normally think of. It wasn’t sweet. It was more… _sultry_ and _very_ intoxicating.

“Well…Um – Shall we?” He held his arm out for her to take, led her over just a few feet to where he and Naomi had set up, heart beating faster with each step. He had already almost blown it. If she didn’t like his plan –

“ _Gabe_ ,” She gasped as she eyed the large picnic blanket set up with a spread of various ingredients alongside the gold-rimmed plates and small candles that she figured he would light when the sun finished setting. That would be beautiful, she thought. The two of them having a _candlelit_ dinner surrounded by the various, multicolored blooms in the garden, some of which were settled in a small vase placed exactly in the middle of the setup.

His free hand returned to the back of his neck. “I know it’s not exactly fancy or anything…If you don’t like it, we still have time to – ”

She silenced him with a finger to the lips. “It’s perfect.”

“ _Really_?”

Carla nodded. She had been on several dates over the past few years. They were all pretty much the same. Sweet talk the boy into going out to some sort of cute café so she could sweet talk him some more and get what she needed. Even though it ultimately got her what she wanted, over time, it became dull. Sure, the places she’d been to were decent, but, this was different. This came from his _heart_. She could tell that he’d put a lot into planning this and her own heart fluttered at the image of him running around and doing all of this for _her_. She smiled at the thought, leaned up to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.” 

“Oh! Well, I – er – ” He stuttered, wondered if he’d ever get used to those small, sudden displays of affection while she giggled at his reaction as they made their way over to finally sit.

Carla smoothed her skirt out when she settled into her spot across from his, eyes scanning the food, or rather, platters of ingredients, in front of her. “So…why _tortas_?” She asked curiously as he reached over for her glass.

“I didn’t have time to come up with anything that required a lot of prep,” Gabe confessed, turned his attention to the drink he was pouring, mind focused on keeping both the pitcher and glass steady despite his unusually nervous hands. “And I didn’t really know what you liked. I figured that, if we did something like this, I – well -- I could at least guarantee having something you’d eat.” He explained. “But if you’d rather have something else, we could try the kitchen. Or, we could pack all this up and – ”

“ _Gabe_!” Carla snapped, quickly moved to avoid being splashed with the juice spilling out of the glass that he had inadvertently turned to the side in his distracted rambling.

“Huh? Oh!” He started, the cup slipping out of his hand when he snapped to attention.

She gave a startled shriek, said as she scrambled out of the way, “This dress is _brand new_!”

“Right, sorry…” He muttered as he retrieved the glass and then pulled back, only to knock over the small vase in his haste. _‘Ugh. Get it together, Gabriel!’_ He chastised himself, moving to pick up the fallen vase and then turning to rifle through the basket. _‘All you’re doing is making yourself look like a clumsy idiot. She probably thinks – huh --?’_ He stopped, looked over when he felt her hand settle on top of his.

“Gabe, stop,” Carla ordered, looked up at him apologetically. She knew she shouldn’t have said what she did about her dress. She wasn’t thinking and had acted on impulse after being startled by the accident. She also knew that she was going to have to make up for it. “I – ” She started and quickly stopped. Apologies had never come easy to her, even when she knew she was in the wrong. She took in a small breath, tried again. “I’m sorry. I -- shouldn’t have made a big deal of it. And you know… You don’t have to try so hard.”

Gabe blinked, looked at her curiously.

Catching his expression, she continued, “What I mean is…I — well—” She paused, ran over the words in her head. “I _already_ like you. A lot. You don’t have to impress me.” She gave him a reassuring smile as she picked up the cloth napkin from her plate and handed it over.

“Here,” She said, watched as his expression changed from curious and confused and softened into a relieved smile as he took the napkin.

“Thanks,” He replied and took his time in cleaning up the spill the best that he could, saying when he finished, “I’m sorry it ruined your spot. We can switch places if you want.”

“Or…” Carla started as she stood, made her way around to his side of the blanket and then settled down next to him. “I could sit here.”

“I’d like that,” Gabe admitted. He reached to grab the pitcher again, stopped when Carla reached over and set a hand on top of the one gripping the handle, gently pushed it back down.

“Why don’t you leave that to me?” She suggested and handed over her plate instead. “You get started on the food.”

“But I don’t – ” He began to protest.

Knowing what he was going to say, she interrupted as she delicately picked up his glass, “I’ll tell you how to put it together. And you better listen carefully. Because I’m only telling you _once_.” 

He laughed, took the glass once she had filled it. “I’ll try.”

And try he did, following her _very_ specific instructions in putting together the sandwich properly. She was _picky_ , he learned. Certain pieces could only go in specific places on specific sides, and he didn’t understand what difference it made if the spread was on one side or the other, but she insisted, so he did it.

Once he finished, he handed her plate over and started on his own, feeling more relaxed now that things had settled down. She was right. They were already into each other. Not only that, but they had already done the hard part in confessing their feelings. Now was the time for him to get to _really_ know her as a person.

They chatted quietly about the various things happening in their lives. Carla told him a bit about the process of moving and the pains that came with it, revealed that she still had two more parties to attend over in the Mirror World over the weekend. Gabe shared stories of what the guards had been working on throughout the week and told her about the new training course that he and Mateo were working on together. Said he wanted to put in more magical obstacles to help them be properly trained in fighting against magical forces and even threw in tidbits about the more ridiculous things that had happened – such as the illusion that startled one of his cadets so badly that he’d tripped backwards into the fountain they were sitting by.

As they talked, Gabe couldn’t help sneaking glances over at Carla’s dress. It really did suit her. He’d questioned the colour choice a few times. She usually wore purple, and he had looked at a few dresses in varying shades of violet, but after remembering the ballgown she had worn to the Navidad Festival, he decided to take a chance and try blue, which accentuated her eyes just as well. But, while it definitely _looked_ good, he realised he’d never asked if she actually liked it.

“So, um – The dress,” He started and she glanced up, raised a curious eyebrow.   
She flicked her eyes down to her outfit. “What about it?”

“Well, -- uh – Do you _like_ it?”

She nodded. “It’s really pretty. It’s just…Why did you buy me a dress?”

He hadn’t been expecting that question, but admitted to himself that it _was_ a fair one. Buying a girl a dress was usually regarded as a _big deal._

Gabe sighed to himself, hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he confessed. “Because I couldn’t decide what to get you. When I heard that everyone else was getting you a graduation gift I knew that I had to pick something. I went to the _Mercado_ after the ceremony, but I just couldn’t pick. First I thought about getting you a ribbon, but I figured you had plenty of those. Then I thought about a necklace or something, but you can borrow anything you want from Elena, so it seemed…pointless.”

Carla smiled to herself at the thought of him fretting over choosing a gift for her. He probably wanted it to feel special, just like this date. He didn’t want to choose something plain or typical because she wasn’t either of those things. Not to him.

“I was about to give up when I walked past the dress shop. I saw that one in the window and, well, I actually passed over it. You normally wear purple and you were wearing purple yesterday, so, I thought you’d prefer that colour, but then I remember how good you had looked at Navidad and decided to try blue.”

“I don’t just like purple, you know,” She teased as she handed over her empty plate after he started gathering up and moving dishes around.

“I know. I guess I just thought…Okay. I don’t know what I thought,” He admitted, laughed to himself and then changed the subject, “Dessert?”

“Maybe later. We _just_ finished eating and…”

“In that case,” He interrupted as he stood, held out his hand, “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

She smiled up at him, pushed a piece of hair out of the way before taking the hand he offered and letting him help her to her feet. She took a moment to brush over and smooth out her skirt, linked her arm with his once she finished, the two of them turning to head down one of the pathways with the late evening sunset fading away around them. The warm backdrop being slowly replaced with the calm, coolness of night. This time, there was no awkward tension as Carla leaned her head against his arm and gave a soft, almost dreamy sigh. She hadn’t known what to expect out of this date, but had been more than pleased so far. _None_ of those other dates from the past would ever compare. Elena was right. There was something special about going out with someone you _knew_ returned your feelings.

Gabe glanced over, smiled at the sight of her settled against him. He secretly loved the way she was growing more comfortable around him. Not only had she seemed rather happy to have an excuse to sit _next_ to him during dinner, but she had actually put her hand on top of his in order to get his attention, _and_ had let him hug her earlier. Part of him wondered if this was _actually_ happening. But the other part, the one that registered the feeling of her head sitting comfortable against his arm as they moved in step together, reveled in every second. Aside from a few early fumbles, the whole evening had been perfect. Well, nearly perfect. There was still something he wanted to do.


	6. Secret Dances and Moonlight Kisses

Carla looked up curiously when he suddenly stopped and unhooked his arm from hers, watched as he stepped in front of her and took one of her hands in his. He set the other on her waist and pulled her in towards him, held back an amused laugh at the confused expression on her face.

“Gabe, what are you –?”

“What does it look like?” He teased as he started to move with her. “I’m _dancing_ with you. You _do_ like to dance, don’t you?”

She gave him a warm smile as she looked up at him through her lashes, stepped in closer and set her free hand on his shoulder, admitted as she began to move with him, “I _love_ dancing. It’s – a part of me. Always has been.” 

Gabe returned the smile. He had learned a lot about her that evening, but that was something different. And far deeper than her troubles with moving or the specific way she liked her food. He _knew_ she was an excellent dancer and that she always seemed content when she was dancing, but now sensed there was far more to it than mere enjoyment as he twirled her. He decided when she came back into his arms to at least ask, “It _has_?” 

“I started dancing when I was four. Papa taught me most of what I know. And when we were travelling, I’d learn new dances,” Carla revealed. She didn’t know how or why. Maybe it was the lovely, thoughtful dinner? Or maybe it was the fragrant smell of the blooms surrounding them? Or…Could it be that she just felt at ease being with him like this? No matter the reason, she found that she didn’t mind sharing this. The soft look in his eyes let her know that he was _genuinely_ interested in the story.

“So, your _dad_ taught you how to dance?” He asked. She had said that she and Victor danced together and he even figured that he had helped her, but was still surprised to hear her say that he taught her _most_ of what she knew.

Carla nodded. “He says that I insisted. Mama was – ” She stopped, quickly shut her mouth once she realised what she had said.

Gabe raised a curious eyebrow, moved to twirl her again. He had _never_ heard Carla mention her mother. Nor had he ever thought to ask. But now that _she_ had brought it up, he was curious.

“I don’t think you’ve mentioned your mother before,” He said carefully, noting how her grip on his hand tightened as tore her gaze away from his. 

“It just…Never came up,” She said, hoping he would drop the subject. It had been hard enough to tell her _best friends_ about her mother. She had held off on that for _months_ , and probably would have never told them if they hadn’t been worried enough to drop by on _Dia de Los Muertos_ and been there to see her costume and altar. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell him. Granted, this wasn’t the first piece of intimate information she’d shared with him, but it was certainly the biggest. She bit her lip, considered her options.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Gabe reassured, gave her hand a squeeze. He didn’t want to press. Especially if it was painful, which it seemed to be given her sudden change in demeanor and the lingering tension between them.

Carla looked back up at him, breath catching when she caught the honesty in his eyes. She knew he’d respect her decision if she didn’t talk but there was also a part of her that _did_ want to tell him. While this whole dating thing was new to her, the one thing she knew for sure is that she wanted him to be part of her life. Even the unhappy parts. Besides, he _wanted_ to know more about her. All of her. And this was certainly a big part of knowing her. Mama’s memory was the reason she started dancing and never stopped. It was the one connection she had with her. The one thing that always managed to make her feel better when things were rough and stressful. She smiled softly at the thought, took in a breath.

“My mother – She _loved_ dancing,” She confessed. “That’s how they met. Papa saw her doing a street performance fell for her right there.”

“Oh. So, Your mother was a performer?”

“Well…Not exactly. She was – well –” Carla paused. This was it. This was where he was going to start learning about her past. He was going to start to know her _whole truth_. She swallowed, continued quietly, “She was a traveling thief like my father. Street dancing was a way to earn extra money. She once told him that there was no use in wasting her talent. So, she made use of it. At least, until they could come up with their next plan.”

“Oh,” Gabe replied. “I guess you travelled a lot then. I mean, I know you did some, but…”

“More than some. I grew up on the road. Papa and I never stayed in one place for long,” She admitted.

He frowned. He suspected that she had spent some time on the run, but never thought that her _whole life_ was spent shuffling around from place to place like that. Moving around on what he presumed were short notices. Never getting a chance to actually know anybody because _both_ your parents were criminals and had to keep a low profile. It sounded miserable to him.

“That must have been lonely,” He finally replied.

She nodded. While she always had something of a companion in her father who was by her side in their travels, it wasn’t the same as having friends her own age to connect with. It was extremely rare that she was able to interact with other children beyond the occasional story time session or street game. And those were only allowed when her father needed a break from her. Then, there had been the sons of that group of thieves her father occasionally traveled with, but they were never kind to her. When she was little, they tried to push her around and ruin her dresses. When she got a little older, they turned to ignoring her all together until they met again a few years ago and deemed her attractive enough to flirt with. Their mothers had been nice, though. If it wasn’t for them, she wouldn’t have properly learned to do her hair or discovered how much she liked makeup. But, their interactions were few and far between, and every time she left, she never knew when she’d see them again.

She sighed, admitted, “It was. I mean, I always had Papa for company, but – ”

“What about your mother? She didn’t – ?”

“No. I – Well – ” Carla bit her lip again, willed herself to force her emotions back down. She had only ever said it a few times and it _never_ got any easier. She thought for a second about not telling him even though she had already resolved to do so, but also knew that, if she didn’t, he would never know the entire story and she _wanted_ him to know. Wanted him to understand her.

Feeling unable to face him directly, she flicked her eyes downward as she finally said, “I – I never met my mother. She—” She paused, swallowed back the tears she felt rising up. “She died giving birth to me.”

 _‘Wait…What?!’_ He stopped their steps, eyes widening as he looked down at her just as she glanced back up, violet eyes sparkling under the moonlight in a way that would typically be considered romantic if not for the dull sadness within them. He immediately regretted even asking the initial question. If he had known that _that_ was the answer, he would have never asked. “Carla, I – ” He tried to speak, but couldn’t find even a _word_ to say. After all, what _could_ he say? He knew it hadn’t been easy for her to tell him that. He’d seen the emotions flickering in her eyes as she considered her options, tried to figure out what to say and how to say it. He couldn’t imagine having never had his own mother around. But, Carla…She _never_ had one. Victor had raised her on the road. _Alone._

He thought to speak again, but the words still refused to come. Instead, he pulled her in closer, wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hug that she easily settled into, head nestling against his chest as she appreciated the feel of his arms around her once again. He ran a gentle hand over her hair, waited for her to pull away first, saying when she did,

“So, it’s been just you and your dad from day one?”

Carla nodded. “I _know_ what everyone thinks about him. And it’s not unfair. He _has_ done some pretty awful things. But – ” She paused. It was true. Her father was a criminal, after all. He’d even passed down his skills to her. But, there was more to him than that. No matter the trouble they got into, he was always there for her. Even now, despite not approving of the changes she’d made to her life, he was still there in his own way. He responded to her letters. He’d sent small gifts for her birthday and Navidad. He even came to attend her graduation _and_ do her hair beforehand.

She smiled at the thought, continued, “He’s a _good dad_. I mean, he _is_ bad at some things. He can barely style my hair and isn’t the best with emotions, but he still _tries_. He raised me all by himself. Put me in cute dresses. Always made sure I ate first. He even taught me how to dance. Being away from him hasn’t been easy. There are times when I miss him terribly.”

“And your mother? Do you miss her?”

“All the time. Papa told me _all_ the stories. From their first meeting to…the last kiss. Even though I never met her, he made sure that I knew her. And, this might sound corny but…When I’m dancing, I actually feel _connected_ to her.”

Gabe took her hands in his. “That’s not corny at all. It’s… _sweet_ ,” He said, lips curving into a gentle smile as he continued, “I know it wasn’t easy, but I’m glad you told me all of this.”

“You…are?” Carla asked and titled her head slightly, the sadness in her eyes slowly fading into curiosity.

“ _Yes_. You’re being honest. And – now _I’m_ going to sound corny – But, I feel like I’m _really_ getting to know you. I mean, I knew you were a good dancer, but I never knew how _important_ it was to you.”

“It’s _more_ than important it’s – ” She started.

“— A part of you,” He finished for her, recalling what she had told him just a few minutes before. “Right?” He asked, gave a light laugh at the blush tinting her cheeks as she nodded.

He smiled, suggested, “In that case, maybe we should finish our dance?”

“Only if we can try something faster this time,” She said.

“If you want. But, I should warn you, I don’t really – ”

She cut him off with a laugh. “You’ll be fine,” She encouraged as she took one of his hands in hers, guided the other one to settle on her waist. “This is the first dance I learned. If a four-year-old can master it, so can you. Just follow me.” She took one step and then another, carefully guiding him into following her through the sequence, which he picked up rather quickly even as their steps got faster and slightly more complicated.

He held back a laugh when she had to demonstrate his part when they separated for the individual parts of the dance. It took a few tries and some grumbling from Carla, but he eventually got all of the steps down and they were able to combine their two parts in the proper sequence, which ended with him picking her up and twirling her around while she laughed. She hadn’t done this dance in a long time and being able to share it with him felt special and… _right_. Her heart fluttered when he set his hands on her waist to lift her up. His eyes were gentle, as if he was trying to reassure her that she’d be safe. Not that she doubted him. He _had_ saved her before, after all. And – she blushed at the thought – his arms _were_ very well toned.

Though he had intended to take her hands again and ask about the next part of the dance, once he set her back on her feet, the only thing he could focus on were the violet stars staring up at him. The sounds of the rustling branches behind him faded as his focus shifted completely to her and the trust and adoration he saw tinting her gaze as the blooms surrounding them became a blur. He felt his breath and heartbeat quicken as he tentatively reached over, brushed away a piece of hair that had blown into her face.

Carla’s own breath hitched when his fingers gently brushed against her cheek as he moved the strand. It was such a small, simple touch, and yet, it made her heart catch. She felt the heat rising to her face as she started to study his and found herself trapped underneath his adoring gaze. It was the _same_ look he had the night before. The look that told her that _she_ was the only thing he was seeing. She wondered if he could see the same thing in her eyes as the world around her slowly faded away. The only thing she registered was the feel of his hands, both the one that had never left her waist and the one that had just returned there after leaving her face. Then there was the spark of _desire_ flickering in his eyes as he smiled warmly at her that set her heart off at a gallop. She was struck by a sudden urge to draw him in closer, to pull him down to her and…

Wait.

Did she _really_ want to – ?

Was this…?

It _was_.

This was _the moment_ Elena had told her about. The one where _everything_ stopped. The only thing she saw, -- only thing she _felt --_ was him and knowing that he felt the same way only made her even more certain that it’s what she wanted.

Reading the look on her face, he decided to take the chance again. After all, this time everything was different. There was a spark that hadn’t been there before, only nervous tension as they wondered what step to take after confessing their feelings. But now? Now they knew. He leaned forward ever so slightly, let his eyes ask the question for him.

_May I?_

She gave a small nod, cheeks flushing as she stared up into his eyes, breathed, “Kiss me, Gabe.”

She took a step forward, stretched up on her toes to meet him halfway, their lips molding to each other in a soft, lingering kiss. Carla’s mind went blank, and, as he gently pulled her in closer, she immediately understood why Elena had described it as melting as unfamiliar but welcome warmth made its way through her body. The moment his lips touched hers, all of her previous fears dissipated. Nothing seemed to matter except the two of them.

Even the romantic starlight faded into the background as Gabe became wrapped up in everything that was _her_. The taste of the fruity drink they’d been sharing that still hung on her lips. The heady scent of her perfume. Her body pressed against his. Her heart racing in time with his own. This wasn’t his _first_ kiss. He’d kissed one girl back when he was fifteen. But it hadn’t felt like _this_. He felt like he couldn’t get enough of her. And, as close as she was, he still wanted her _closer_.

The kiss came to a gentle end with Carla giving a soft, girlish giggle as she looked into his star-flecked gaze. She couldn’t remember ever feeling like this. He made her feel special and _wanted_ in a way she had never known before and she _liked it_. A soft smile played at her lips at the thought as he started to speak, his voice drawing her attention back upwards.

“So…Um…” Gabe started, unsure of exactly how to word the question or if he should even ask. “How was…I mean – Did you –?”

Heat flooded Carla’s face when she realised what he was trying to say. Her hand instinctively moved upward, fingers gently toying with a piece of hair as she said, “Oh. I – Um – I don’t think one is enough to make a proper judgment.” She paused, her smile returning as she glanced up at him through her lashes, “Maybe I need one more?”

He smiled, nerves fading off as he drew her back in. The first time he’d been gentle, not wanting to push too far too fast. This time, he pressed a little harder, putting his feelings into a kiss that she eagerly reciprocated and returned with equal vigor. He wanted to laugh as he thought that, for a girl who had never been kissed before, Carla was _good_ at it. She put as much feeling into it as he did and he loved every second.

Pulling back just enough to look into his eyes, breath intermingling with his, she breathed, “ _More_.”

This time, she took the lead, claiming his mouth with hers before he had a chance to even think of a viable response. Her hands slid from where they’d been settled on his chest up, up, up until her arms were looped around his neck as his finally moved from her waist and came around to settle on her back.

He pulled her in even closer, reveled in the feeling of her in his arms as his tongue slid past her lips, gentle but demanding, taking even more of her.

“Wow…” She murmured when he pulled back and reality slowly started to set back in. Part of her wondered if it was all a dream. Thought that there was _no way_ she deserved all of this. Not after the things she had done to him and his friends in the past. But the other part…The one that registered the feel of his hands running along her back and the dazed look in his eyes, prayed that, if it _was_ a dream, no one would wake her up.

He chuckled, brought a hand up to gently caress her cheek. “I’ll take that as a good sign?” He teased and then put a finger to her lips when she tried to lean up again. “If you keep doing that, we’ll never finish our dance.”

Her lips curved into a coy smile. She tilted her head slightly, batted her eyelashes at him. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He laughed again, shook his head as he thought, _‘You’re too cute.’_

“Come on,” He encouraged. “You have to at least show me how this one ends.”

“ _Or_ we could slow things down again,” Carla suggested. Showing him the remainder of the dance wouldn’t be difficult, but it _would_ involve having to separate from him again when she would rather stay right where she was in his arms.

Gabe smiled when she took a tiny step forward and settled her head in the crook of his shoulder. He knew that was her way of telling him that he didn’t have a choice in the matter and decided that he didn’t mind as he settled his hands back on her waist and started to move with her.

Though there were a few bumps early on, the evening had turned out amazing. They hadn’t been interrupted by either the weather or other people. She admitted that she _loved_ the idea of a picnic and didn’t have any complaints about the food. He’d even learned most of a new dance and some _very_ important information about her life. Then, there was that kiss. Her first kiss _ever_ and she chose to give it to _him_.

His smile widened at the thought as he found himself being brought back to earlier that afternoon when she had made that confession to him. She’d said a lot of things then. Things that, for the longest time, he thought he would only hear in his dreams. But, while he was glad to have those thoughts confirmed in reality, there was still one that lingered in the back of his mind.

“Carla?” He asked softly.

“Hm?” She murmured. 

“Can I ask you something?”

She didn’t respond, only lifted up her head and shifted so that she could look up into his eyes.

“You know how you told me that you read my thoughts before?”

She nodded.

“Well, I’ve been wondering…If you already knew how I felt, why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

Carla felt her face go hot the moment she processed his words. _Why_ did he have to ask that question? Why now when everything was going so well? It wasn’t a hard question. Not really. It was _answering_ it that was hard because it meant that she was going to have to admit _more_ insecurity to him.

“I…Well – ” She paused, took in a breath to calm herself as she realised that she had already revealed far more than she wanted to that night by telling him about her mother. Compared to _that_ , this was easy. “I was – _scared_ , you know?” She finally admitted after a brief silence. “Even knowing that, I was still scared you would say ‘no’ and well…” She trailed off, shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters now is that…I’m _not_ scared anymore.”

He didn’t have to reply with words. He let his feelings of love and admiration for her come through in a gaze that she stared deeply into, entranced by both the emotions dwelling in his eyes and the way the moonlight made those emotions shine through as they leaned into each other to share one more lingering kiss.


End file.
